Volatility of Balance
by mysticflakes
Summary: About to graduate Tokyo University at the age of 19, Sawamura Eijun deliberated between a private, prestigious law firm named Seidou and applying as an elite bureaucrat. "Work for me." - "No." - "That wasn't a question." AU. OOC. [Miyusawa]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**A/N: An idea I wanted to try out, despite my other ongoing fics. I'm probably going to burn for this. Miyusawa, the things I do for you..**

**Note: Eijun's backstory will be slowly revealed. Baseball will be added in this fic, but it'd only play a small part.**

**Warning: OOC/Cunning/Smart Eijun (**honestly, I think Eijun was quite smart in canon, though he's very,_ very _dense). ******OOC/Manipulative/Dark Miyuki. Because they're just too sinful to resist.**

**AU. Very, very AU, lmao.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond.**

* * *

"Wakana," Eijun murmured as he leaned back against the satin-covered chair, "this party is ridiculous."

The girl beside him sighed. "_Eijun_."

He snorted his reply, to which Wakana smacked him lightly on the arm.

Not flinching at all, he lifted the wineglass from the table beside him, the intense aroma of blackberries, black licorice, minerals meeting his nose before he took a small sip. The beautiful sweetness of fruit washed over his tongue; powerful and super silky tannins, the aftertaste was caressing and long-lasting. Though he found the expenses splurged on this party extravagant, he had to admit that the wine choice was excellent. The Chateau Lafite-Rothschild was a famous wine name around the world, and the price for just one bottle was staggering; however, the taste was simply exquisite. He had to say that the 1996 was still unforgettable.

"Matsuki-san's here," Wakana warned him in a hushed whisper. He had already noticed her from a few feet away, given her flashy accessories - the Piaget Rose necklace grabbing attention and inciting jealous discussions among some ladies with its sparkling diamond drops and probably about - say, 17 or 18k of white gold. He didn't even_dare_ to think about the price. Inwardly, he wished her future husband luck.

"I'm still going to leave early," he said in a low voice, getting up from his seat and meeting her eyes confidently. He flashed a practiced smile at the girl approaching him, her blond tresses piled on her head in an elegant hairdo as she returned it with a shy smile of her own.

_Strange_, he thought, mildly amused.

They were briefly acquainted earlier that evening, but didn't have the chance to talk much. He could tell from the way she spoke that she was a confident woman however - her bold, lingering gaze and the way she carried herself told him that much. Pretense? If so, what was she after? Or was it true bashfulness?

"If it isn't Matsuki-san," he said, bowing and stretching his hand out to her. Red colored her cheeks as she accepted his hand. "Shall we dance?"

They fell into an easy pattern on the dance floor, initially quiet, enjoying the soft lull of Grammofon as his left hand remained firmly clasped on her tiny waist.

"Charles James, I assume?"

She looked momentarily startled at his voice, her body giving a small jerk. He chuckled lightly as he twirled her once before he caught her by the waist again. "Sorry."

"No, don't be, it was my fault," she replied, cheeks reddening a little. He wondered briefly if the blush was forced. "And yes, it is. You know quite a bit about fashion, don't you?"

"Nah," he replied, allowing his smile to widen more, "it was my sister." He nodded his head to the corner where Wakana sat. "She was gushing to me how beautiful your dress was." Granted, she didn't; Wakana just simply noted the kind of dresses the girls were wearing to irritate him since he couldn't care less about fashion, but it didn't hurt to say a small lie to make them take more notice of her. Wakana's brilliance was sometimes overlooked and he thought she needed more recognition.

They moved closer to the edge of the dance floor, stepping to the right to avoid another twirl by the neighboring couple. She nodded in acknowledgement, her eyes appraising as they lingered a moment longer on Wakana before she turned her attention back to him, a small smile on her lips. "She has a good eye. He's a wonderful designer."

Another silence settled between them.

"So I heard that it's starting up soon," Matsuki started as she peered at him through her thick eyelashes – she had applied a little too much mascara, he was sure. "Who do you think will succeed the position?"

_Shouldn't you be asking who'd _best _succeed the position?_

Eijun resisted the urge to arch a brow at her; she did seem like she was trying to be subtle, though she failed quite miserably in her attempt. He deliberated between acting dumb and answering her question, then decided to be more relaxed tonight – he was leaving after this dance, anyway.

"Good question," he murmured. He remained quiet as he stepped to the left along with Matsuki swiftly; her father was running for the election and as far as he saw, he didn't think there was any chance of him acquiring the position. The elite bureaucrats didn't have a good impression of him with his indulgent methods and he was a _socialist, _though, of course, it'd do little dent on their authority behind the scenes.

As a well-known, self-proclaimed socialist however, his daughter manifested as a complete contradiction of his ideals. Eijun let a small smile curve his lips as he estimated at least seventy thousand yen spent on her assemble tonight.

"The people do seem to wish for a new prime minister, with economic problems not showing signs of receding. But the Diet does seem rather intent on keeping the current."

He hummed thoughtfully as the song reached an end, the beats slowing, reaching a decrescendo. She really did ask the question far too late - though it wasn't as if it'd change his method of answering. "Either way," he bowed before raising her hand up to his lips, pressing a quick kiss against her knuckles, "I'm sure it'll be an interesting election."

From the smile on her face, he could tell she didn't realize that he didn't exactly answer her question. _Foolish girl_. He turned and made his way back to where Wakana sat, seating himself beside her again. She arched a brow at him. "I think she has taken a liking to you."

He raised the glass to his lips to finish the luxurious wine, not bothering to turn back to see what Wakana had saw to arrive at such a conclusion. "I'd say she doesn't think much."

"You're mean," Wakana said, though her lips quirked up to a small smile.

Eijun's lips curled upwards. "Like you weren't thinking the same thing."

He scanned his eyes over the chattering crowd; parties like this weren't really his thing. Bluntly put, it was just an underlying game of power, status and prestige that they were playing here – and some weren't even good players. Sure, he liked socializing at times, but he disliked formal events – there were little people here that caught his interest.

His mouth turned dry, gaze landing on a particular figure, though it wasn't a familiar face. He didn't notice his presence when he first entered the ballroom, however.

A bespectacled man who didn't look over twenty oozed of power and charisma; he was clad in tailored white suit, tapered pants complimenting his slightly muscular legs. Quite attractive with his sharp, aristocratic features, he found himself momentarily enraptured when the man swept his eyes around the room briefly – his conversational partners were probably not being very engaging. Just when Eijun thought he was about to overlook him, the man's eyes snapped back to meet his, weighing on him heavily.

For a moment, he was about to turn back to see if he was looking at someone else, but stopped himself just in time to realize that he was still sitting at the back of the hall and there was _no way _anyone could stand behind him. He could tell he was assessing him – but of what? Then a small smirk curled his lips and he tilted his wineglass to Eijun's direction: on the surface, it appeared to be a simple greeting, but he realized that it could also well be taunting, given the way his glasses flashed under the light. Eijun lifted his chin, not backing down from what he saw as a challenge, giving a stiff nod in return before he stood from his seat. Then he broke away from the eye contact, reaching out for Wakana's hand.

She shook her head in disapproval. "You're always leaving far too early." She took his hand anyway. He knew that she secretly despised these parties – which was why he even brought her here in the first place. She was his childhood friend and he really_was_ glad it was her. There couldn't be anyone else he would be relieved at having known him for so long and so well.

The moment they were out of the ballroom, doors shutting the light beats of Faust Waltz in, she pulled him closer. "Who were you looking at?"

"I wasn't," he lied smoothly.

She nudged him. "You can't fool me."

He shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Was it a lady? Or a man?"

"People hearing that would think I'm bisexual, you know," he said, amusement coloring his tone as they approached the revolving doors of the five-star hotel. Wakana was adamant on finding out his sexual orientation, given his lack of love life after nineteen years, despite the many confessions he received. He gestured for her to go ahead. She giggled as she stepped through it to the open air. The door swung shut behind them.

"You don't even know it yourself," she said, smacking him on the arm lightly. He rolled his eyes, deciding not to answer her because she was _partly _right; he did have a bit of fun here and there, but never met anyone he was remotely interested in for the long-term. It was a well-established acknowledgement he had with himself, and it was something he was contented with.

"Ritsu-kun's about to be here," Eijun said, checking the silver Rolex watch clasped around his wrist. He didn't exactly appreciate expensive brands, but it was a gift from Wakana who had probably spent two months of her salary to buy him this, saying that his parents would expect him to 'blend in with the crowd' and attending more social events. He resisted a snort at that thought.

"Ah, Ritsu-kun!" Wakana gave an excited wave as a Porshe Sportec parked itself neatly by the pavement. The window rolled down to reveal a middle-aged man donning a pair of sunglasses. He pulled the shades down with a finger.

"Get in, kids," he said.

Eijun chuckled. "Ritsu-kun, this doesn't make you look any cooler. Sunglasses in a car at _night_ make no sense."

Ritsu didn't look bothered by his comment at all, pushing his sunglasses back up. "Sawamura-_sama_," he said, obviously addressing him this way because he knew it'd get on his nerves, and Eijun's eyes narrowed on his. "I think I look cool, and that's enough."

"- yes, send him here."

The deep, baritone voice distracted him, and he angled his face slightly to see who it was. A man with messy brown hair was facing away from their direction, shoes making small knocks against the ground as he walked past them, one hand in his pocket as the other pressed a phone against his ear. His face turned slightly as he talked, and Eijun realized with a start that it was the same bespectacled man back in the ballroom.

Wakana's giggles broke him out from his observation and he averted his eyes to see her already seated in the car. It was unusual for him to be caught off-guard, much less twice in a day. He chanced a subtle look to the man's direction again, but he was already gone. "Come on, Eijun."

Ritsu poked his head out of the window, "Yeah, kid, stop stoning and get in."

Eijun rolled his eyes. "Why did I even hire you?"

"Because I'm cool."

\\\\\\\\\\+\\\\\\\\\

"_Release them."_

_Eijun pushed himself up from the grey, dusty concrete floor, blinking to clear his blurry vision. A bespectacled boy around his age stood in the entrance of the open door, hands in his pockets as he nodded towards the barred cells they were enclosed in. He was dressed immaculately, his crisply-pressed dark blue suit and tailored pants complimenting his frame; even his young, inexperienced self could tell the material used was expensive. The man beside him was dressed similarly, though his suit was in black, head lowered to the young boy._

"_Please, it's – "_

_He was cut off and Eijun pushed himself closer to the bars to get a better look, ignoring the pain shooting up from his swollen wrists due to the ropes tightly binding them for days. The boy was standing there, eyes trained on the older man who seemed frozen, rigid in his stance; the boy's lips were moving but Eijun couldn't hear what he was saying. A kid beside him shifted and made a small groan as he awoke, but Eijun clasped his hand over his mouth. The kid's eyes widened._

"_Shh," he shushed him, "be quiet," he whispered, eyes intent on the two figures who seemed to be too engaged in their conversation to notice that they were awake._

"_You call me _sama _for a reason," the boy said, voice rising, jerking his head to their direction again. Eijun swallowed – please, please let this be okay._

"_Master will – "_

"Now." _This word was bit out harshly, and Eijun could tell the boy had won, given his display of authority earlier on. He quickly slumped against the cell to feign sleep – he didn't know whether the boy wanted to be seen, and if he had seen him he may be subjected to threats that he didn't want to put himself through._

_His ears remained alert as he heard a pair of footsteps approaching their cell then a click of the lock. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he waited, forcing himself to remain relaxed against the metal bars._

"_Oi," someone whispered, nudging him. He remained still. "Oi."_

_He pushed himself up, arranging his features to one of confusion – at least he hoped so, rubbing his eyes with his bound hands._

"_W – what?"_

_The man had pulled a hat over to cover his eyes, but there was still a distinguishable scar running to his right ear. His lips were pursed, and Eijun could tell he still disapproved of the boy letting them go. "Run. Now."_

_He glanced back at kids behind him. The man nodded. "I'll wake them, too. Go now."_

"_Thank you."_

_He scrambled out of the cage, dusting his pants and skidding to a stop when he almost bumped into the back of the boy's suit in his haste. Shocked, he froze for a moment - he didn't know the young boy would risk having his identity discovered. Then the boy pointed to his left. "Go."_

"_Thank you," he murmured. He turned to the direction he gestured to –_

"_I know you were awake."_

_And _ran.

_\\\\\\\\\\+\\\\\\\\\_

Eijun shot up from the bed, sweat matting his hair to his forehead as his hands fisted the sheets pooling around his waist, breaths coming out like short gasps. He hadn't had this dream – remembered this memory – for years. Groaning, he rubbed the aching temples with his thumb, glad that he had left the party early.

"Sawamura-sama!"

Eijun cursed as the headache came back again, and he pounded on his forehead, wincing as flashes of white burst underneath his lids with every hit. He knew he should stop hitting his head like an idiot since it hardly helped, but the pain provided him temporary relief.

Someone knocked on the door again. He felt his brow twitch in irritation, then pushed himself out of the bed, wearing the slippers by the side. Shuffling to the door, he twisted the doorknob open, face already schooled into a stoic mask.

"Yes?"

A woman dressed in a black and white frilly dress bowed respectfully to him. "Good morning, Sawamura-sama. It's almost time for school. And Youichi-sama phoned to say he's arriving in the late afternoon."

Kuramochi? Now, that was a surprise. He nodded to dismiss her. "I'll be ready soon."

She bowed again and scurried away. His gaze lingered on her back before he scoffed and shut the door behind him.

_One really never knows when that meek behavior turns to stab you in the back._

* * *

**A/N: A slow start, but it'll start picking up soon, I hope. Baseball will play a part in their relationship as well. I'm structuring the politics in this fic with reference to the Japanese political system (since it's set in Japan, after all), but I will probably change quite a few things here and there.**

**Sorry for any mistakes. I do research on them but I may miss out/obtain the wrong information so do point them out if you spot any.**

**Do leave me a review to tell me what you think!**

**-mysticflakes**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A/N: Supposed to be working on the chapter of TYAM **(hides in corner)** but I ended up.. Inspiration struck for this one. Thank you for every follow, favorite, review and for simply giving this story a chance! Eijun was so addicting to write!**

**Warnings and disclaimer in previous chapter. OCs wouldn't be a major part of the story, of course; I'm going to try using as many canon characters as possible, but OCs will be inevitable.**

* * *

"Transactions? What's this thing about it?"

Eijun managed to keep himself from sneering; Toji Hideaki's ubiquitous display of stupidity was almost painful to watch. Though it was terribly entertaining most of the time, he mused. Eijun picked up_Twelfth Night _from the table and flipped to the page he wanted.

"How did you manage to link Maria and Olivia to this?"

Eijun flashed a practiced grin at him. "Ah. _That._ You do realize their relationship is born out of political convenience, is it not?" Not bothering to wait for his response - he doubted it'd be helpful input, anyway - he continued, "Maria's authority in the household is derived from being a trusted subordinate of Olivia. Obviously. Maria is smart enough to know this, and she interferes with the romantic affairs of Olivia in an attempt to preserve her mistress' autonomy - it is an act of self-preservation." He circled the line with his finger, now utterly bored. If Toji wasn't the heir of Hyakugu, he doubted he would even bother establishing good ties with him.

"Similarly, Olivia employs Maria's help to fend off unwanted male suitors; with this, their mutual interests coincide and results in them forming a co-dependent relationship on each other. This is another relationship not based on trust and love, but out of individual pursues - they both give and receive what they want in return." Toji nodded, eyes sparkling as he looked up at Eijun. "Of course, there're papers claiming that Maria harbors homosexual affections for Olivia, but let's not delve into that." _Because I doubt you can follow._

"That's brilliant, really, Sawamura!" He exclaimed, accepting the book back from Eijun. _Hideaki - shining excellence? _He chuckled under his breath. How ironic.

Seeing that he was still a tiny bit amused from Toji's carefree expression, it was not difficult to smile. "Oh, it's nothing. Always a pleasure to help."

Toji grinned at him, patting him on the shoulder. "You're a bro, man!" As he started scribbling on his paper, "Wanna go drinking later tonight?"

Honestly, he reminded him of Andrew. But in this case, it'd make him Toby, which he'd rather not be - a careless though slightly bright man who squandered those qualities for his carousing and vices? And eventually giving in to a marriage with a_servant..._ He propped his elbow on the table, looking appropriately disappointed. "I'm afraid I can't. I've an appointment in the afternoon."

Toji frowned. "Aww, you can't push it away?"

"Nah, I can't," Eijun said, shaking his head. "I'll be dropping by for baseball practice later on, though."

"Ah! I heard Narumiya-senpai's coming!" Toji sat up a little straighter as he delivered the news, but Eijun was no longer in the mood to entertain him, slinging his bag over his shoulder and preparing to leave.

"Yes, I do know that."

A flash of surprise, then realization dawned. "Oh yeah, I forgot he's your cousin."

"My, Toji," Eijun said sweetly, ends of his lips curling to a small smile, "the things that slip from your mind make you almost adorable."

A faint blush colored his cheeks, obviously not catching the sarcasm behind his sentence. Eijun took this chance to leave before he could continue their meaningless conversation. He pushed his chair back to the table, making his way to the professor seated in the front.

"Sawamura, you're going off?"

Eijun turned back, stopping midway in the aisle between tables to see Kanemaru arching a brow at him. He was decidedly more competent than the rest around him, and one of the few whom he found the presence tolerable; though he wasn't a heir, he was the son of a prominent shareholder of the Sawamura family. "Quite obviously," he replied.

"Give me a moment." Kanemaru started arranging his papers, aligning them properly.

Eijun crossed his arms. "Leaving too?"

"Ah, yes, Father wanted me present for a business meeting later on," he said as he got his files and papers in his hands, nodding to the front.

The professor pursed his lips when they reached him.

"Sorry, Professor," Kanemaru murmured, handing the bound copy of his thesis paper, "but we've some urgent matters to attend to. We'd like to leave now."

"And why would I allow this?" He leaned back on his chair, the buttons of the tight button-up he was wearing looking as if they were about to pop off any moment, an arrogant sneer twisting his already un-flattering looks uglier and squinting his small, beady eyes. Eijun had the sudden urge to pull on his fat cheeks till the skin split to expose the redness underneath and cut the remaining few strands of hair on his shining head. He inhaled deeply, quietly, calming himself.

"A meeting," Kanemaru stated simply.

The professor stared at them dubiously. Eijun stifled a sigh, stepping forward as he placed his own stack of papers on the table. "Professor, it's important."

He took a subtle glance at the clock. If this continued on, he'd miss the phone call. This professor was always trying to make things difficult for them and though he found it amusing on some occasions, it was bordering on annoyance now. He felt his lips curl in displeasure as the professor stiffened, shaking his head.

"No, I don't permit you to leave the class."

"This will be the first and last time we're asking you," Kanemaru said, his voice laced with tension. He was obviously irritated. Eijun didn't want to do this, but he did love catching people off-guard...

"No, get back to your seats!" He pointed his finger to the class, "I won't be playing favorites just because your families are rich."

Kanemaru's brows furrowed, and Eijun shot a warning glance in his direction. He calmed down slightly, but his voice was trembling slightly as he said, "You allowed the girl yesterday to leave early."

"What can I say? Maybe you aren't that likab - "

"Oh yes," Eijun cut in, leaning against the desk separating them and tapping his chin in feigned thoughtfulness, enjoying the twitch of the professor's brows at his outward disrespect, "Likable. I do realize that some people find some things especially..." He let his eyes stray over the balding man's face which was currently scrunched up in anger. "_Likable._"

By now, some students in the class had their attention on the three of them, whispering and speculating what was going on. "Mitsumo-chan?"

The professor's face reddened, speechless.

Eijun chuckled, drumming his fingers on the table. "I'm sure she's especially likable," he said in a low voice. He checked his watch then looked back up at the professor, catching Kanemaru's amused expression beside him as he did so, "you even chose such a timing - nine in the night, was it? Ah, a far distance from Tokyo University to make sure you wouldn't be caught."

He thinned his lips, a dimple surfacing on his left cheek as he looked at him in mock pity, continuing, "It's such a pity _I_ caught it."

A bead of sweat trickled down the professor's forehead, eyes were now widened - as big as squinty eyes could go - as if seeing him for the first time. "Wh - what are you - "

"What am I implying?" Eijun finished the sentence for him, raising a brow. He pushed himself off the table swiftly, shrugging. "I was just asking to leave early."

The professor was rubbing his temples, and Eijun counted three seconds. _Three, two, one -_

"Go," he said. Eijun had to strain his ears to hear it.

"Sorry?" He asked innocently. "I can't hear - "

"_Go!" _He all but roared, and Eijun chuckled lightly, bowing together along with Kanemaru. They left the class, ignoring the students in the front row openly gawking at them, taking leisure strides and sliding the door shut.

"Damn," Kanemaru's face was one of grudging respect, "that was bold and - and brilliant. How did you...?"

"Always be prepared," Eijun said, as they started making their way down the empty hallways. Honestly, he had expected the professor to throw more of a fit, but he supposed his reputation and family actually meant _something _to him. He would have to thank Ritsu later - perhaps buy him another pair of sunglasses. He smirked at that thought. "Go ahead, don't you've a meeting to attend?"

Kanemaru nodded, taking his phone out from his pocket and waving to him. "See you at baseball practice later!"

Eijun nodded and gave a tiny wave back, dropping his arm back to his side. "Another tiring day." Eijun whipped out his own phone, tapping on the keyboard a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols before a click signaled that his phone was successfully unlocked, the screen panning out.

He walked down the stairs, searching for the updated status of the market. A frown on his face, he entered the long list of contact list, typing the name into the search list as he reached the bottom level of the block.

"Hello," Eijun greeted, and after confirming that it was indeed him, he continued, tone now taking an icy edge. "Now, what've you been _doing?"_

* * *

"Mei," Eijun muttered, as he held out his mitt, "I'm not in the mood for this."

"Eh! Why not?" Mei yelled from the mound, as another fastball sliced through the air and slammed straight to the mitt. The loud impact always impressed Eijun, no matter how many times he caught for him - though Mei would be better off not knowing that. Mei was, though loud, childish and sometimes arrogant (though he couldn't deny that he was suffering from conceit too), sincere and passionate about things he loved; he successfully established a significant place in the major leagues in just a few months and was continuously climbing up, and he respected him for that.

However, when catching for Mei, Eijun had to admit he was lucky that he always had a good sense of balance, or the ball would've knocked him on his ass with the force he put behind it. Shaking his head, he threw the ball back to Mei, who caught it easily.

"Business."

Mei gave an exaggerated sigh. "I've no idea why you'd want to enter that industry. You can aim to be a pro, y'know. Your pitching... it's _kinda,_" Mei forced the word out, "special." He crossed his arms, obviously not liking to admit that out loud.

Eijun chuckled. "Only people like you would excel in this area."

Mei beamed, then realization dawned, scowl twisting his face. "Oi! Are you complimenting me or insulting me?"

"Both." Eijun flashed him a grin. His eyes narrowed when he spotted an approaching white blur aiming straight for his face. In a reflex motion, he ducked, instead allowing the ball to land snugly in his left hand.

"Ah, Sawamura, quick as always."

Eijun stood up from his position, flinging the ball back. Mei let out a boisterous laughter as he jogged over to Eijun, resting his arm on his shoulder.

"Ah, Carlos, sneaky as always," Eijun replied without missing a beat.

The tanned man grinned as he caught the ball, walking over to join them. "Not staying for long?"

"I'm leaving now," Eijun said as he took off his head gear, breathing easier now. "I'm meeting Kuramochi-senpai later."

"He joined some private law firm, didn't he?" Carlos asked, reaching them. "What a waste. His legs are golden."

"Just like yours," Eijun said, arching a brow.

A smirk curled on Carlos' lips as he did not attempt to shy away from the compliment. "Thank you."

Mei smacked Eijun lightly on his shoulder. "Oi, what about my praise?"

"I gave you that a few moments ago," Eijun said; the urge to chuckle at the outrageous pout on Mei's face was overwhelming. His lips twitched as he did not bother to hide the effort he was putting not to laugh and Carlos shook his head, ruffling Mei's hair.

"C'mon, let's go."

Mei lifted his chin. "Just you wait, Eijun! We'll have a pitching showdown soon!"

"Yeah, yeah." Eijun waved as Carlos dragged the yelling southpaw pitcher to the bullpen for practice. He really didn't get why he'd rather play here than do his pitching in the field available at his own home.

* * *

"Sawamura!"

In a split second, Eijun was struggling in a vice-like grip, coughing as the ambush took him off-guard. Kuramochi barked out his usual laughter, releasing him from the headlock and slinging his arm around his shoulders.

"Seriously, senpai," Eijun said, sighing as he rubbed his neck, making his way to the waiting black, sleek car. "Why're you waiting here, anyway?"

Kuramochi shrugged, "I've got tons to discuss with you."

"Too excited to see me?" Eijun asked dryly as he opened the door of the passenger seat, sliding himself in gracefully before Kuramochi followed after.

"Yo, Ritsu-kun!"

The driver did a salute in response. Eijun rolled his eyes - he was obviously not over his 'cool' phase yet. "By the way, thanks for the help."

Ritsu looked confused for a moment as he swerved out of the driveway before he let out a sound. "Ah! It helped, didn't it?"

"What helped?" Kuramochi questioned, looking away from the tinted windows and darting his eyes between both of them.

Eijun's lips curled slightly. "Hmm, I don't really know if I should tell you." Kuramochi was good at keeping secrets - oh hell, he was - but what was the point in that if he divulged it now? Where is that woman?

"Oi, what're you thinking about?" Kuramochi sounded wary.

Oh well, he could always start earlier. "Do you know the literature professor?"

Kuramochi stared at him for a moment and nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

_Ah, there she is. _"Oh, look - " Eijun jerked his head to the pavement. Ritsu and Kuramochi both turned instinctively to the direction: a woman, straight black hair tied into a ponytail, wearing the same colored frills that Eijun was accustomed to seeing every day, was walking back in the direction of the house. Ritsu paused, turning back to Eijun, who already had his expression arranged to one of nonchalance.

"Pick her up," he allowed as Kuramochi settled back to his seat, quiet.

Without another word, Ritsu pressed down on the gas pedal and the car accelerated forward, braking soundlessly beside her. Eijun watched as she jumped, surprised, when Ritsu called her, then scurried into the car bashfully after Ritsu told her to get in. She slammed the door shut, fingers white as they clenched around the handle of the groceries she bought.

The ride was silent for a minute or so.

Then Eijun started, "Guess what I found on Sunday."

Kuramochi turned, facing Eijun directly, eyes hard on his as if trying to see through him, but failing. After a moment, he gave up with a grumble. "I don't know."

Eijun leaned back on his seat. "I found the literature professor in Yoshiwara - though I'm technically not there. An acquaintance of mine told me so. At first, I really didn't believe him." He took his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it, before he scrolled through his gallery.

After a few seconds, he passed Kuramochi his phone. The senior spluttered. "This - he - he's with that - "

"Ah, yes, one of them. Red-light district, wasn't it? It doesn't seem like it was his first time there, I heard he even called for a specific name." From his peripheral vision, he could see the maid leaning slightly in their direction - _bingo._

"Shouldn't this be kept under wraps?" Kuramochi asked in a hushed whisper. Eijun took his phone back and nodded.

"I'm sorry, but you guys can keep a secret, right?"

Ritsu and the woman nodded while Kuramochi stared at him suspiciously. He ignored his look as he observed her reaction. _Like hell she could._"Thank you." Her body was taut with tension - probably due to too much excitement and she was desperately trying to hide a grin. Tsk, tsk. She'd be reeling to tell the first person she sees, and it'll spread like wildfire. Soon enough... ah, poor, poor professor.

Eijun hid his triumphant grin behind his hand as he looked out of the tinted windows for the rest of the ride, comfortable with the silence.

* * *

The two males were sitting in one of the guest rooms, sitting on red, velvety armchairs placed next to each other; Kuramochi had a wineglass in his hand while Eijun was flipping through a thick leather book. It was quiet as Eijun waited for Kuramochi to speak. The afternoon sun was glaringly bright today, distracting him from his reading. He bookmarked his book and placed it down on the table before making his way to the curtains. The room darkened as he pulled the curtains shut.

Kuramochi swirled the wine in his glass thoughtfully. "You were quite..."

"Hmm?" Eijun arched a brow as returned to his previous seat.

"On the car - the maid - was it on purpose?"

Not bad, Kuramochi. "No, it wasn't." Eijun shrugged as he took his own wineglass from the table, taking a small sip before he continued, "You do know I am always neutral towards all my professors, though some are especially dim-witted."

"You do know she was there, though," Kuramochi said, eyeing him.

"Of course I did. She was quite a beauty, wasn't she?"

Kuramochi nodded slowly. "Yes, she's quite pretty."

"But not enough to match Wakana's, I'm sure," Eijun added, his tone carefully casual.

Kuramochi fell for the bait, his face an explosive shade of red. "H - hey! Respect your senior!"

"I _am, _I'm merely commenting on how beautiful Wakana is." He tilted his head to the side. "How was that disrespectful?"

"Y - you brat!" He was putting him in a headlock again, and Eijun choked a bit, smacking his arm. Honestly, Kuramochi was so rough sometimes. The red-faced senior released his hold.

"Don't distract me!" Kuramochi yelled, hitting him on the back of the head. Eijun winced, rubbing the sore spot as he scowled at him. Seriously, he was the only one who dared to hit him whenever he pleased.

Kuramochi breathed in loudly as he tried to settle his nerves. "My boss is interested in hiring you."

"Your boss?" Eijun repeated, a curious lilt in his voice.

"Yes, I mentioned you a few times before and he looked at your academic records and thought you'd be a valuable asset to our team." Kuramochi sighed as he undid the knot on his tie and flung it to the side, now visibly relaxed. "But there'd still be an interview to go through, though. He selects the members personally."

"Who is he?"

"Miyuki Kazuya," Kuramochi replied, leaning forward as he rested both his arms on his legs, steepling his fingers. "But it was rather strange." At Eijun's questioning look, he quickly clarified, "His interest in you."

Huh. "Have we met? I don't remember his name at all." Eijun was running through the faces he had met in his head while he talked, and he was very sure he had never met a Miyuki Kazuya before. "Probably just my academic achievements, then."

Kuramochi let out a loud laugh. "Hyahahaha! You really are an arrogant bastard!" He leaned over to ruffle his hair and Eijun resisted the urge to roll his eyes - sometimes he wondered why he even put up with Kuramochi.

"Seidou, huh." Eijun tapped his finger on the book cover thoughtfully. He had found them interesting when he saw articles of them splashing the headlines for days, at one point; then there was a mysterious fact that no one ever saw the boss of the firm - described to be "absolutely brilliant, efficient and sharp" - save for the employees, yet they wouldn't reveal any information either.

"You took law. You must have considered Seidou at least once," Kuramochi said as he poured himself some more wine. "Rei-chan, our secretary of some sorts, saw you analyzing a case before. She said you have lots of potential."

"She was in our school, huh," Eijun mused. He had heard of the lady, though briefly. She apparently had a good eye for picking out lawyers with great potential. "She asked you, didn't she?"

Kuramochi shrugged. "Yeah, and I just accepted it. There's nothing to lose, anyway."

"Carlos was mourning over how you're wasting your golden legs," Eijun commented lightly. Kuramochi guffawed.

"Too bad! I still do play sometimes, though."

A comfortable silence settled between them as Eijun enjoyed the darkness while the cool breeze from the air-conditioner made his eyes flutter close in relaxation.

"So? Are you interested?"

"I received an offer from the bureaucrats recently," Eijun revealed without opening his eyes. "I need time to sift through my options."

"Bureaucrats?" Kuramochi exclaimed. "Seriously? They _scout?"_

"Scouting wouldn't be the best word to describe it. But yes, I suppose." Honestly, if his parents knew, they would have forced him to take over the company ten years earlier. They always thought that bureaucrats were though the 'cream of the crop', their pay and social prestige that went along with their job weren't worth the disparagement by the people. But he found that it would be stimulating to work in that environment; rather than trapping himself in the office with paperwork all day, he'd rather be trapped with _intellectuals._

Kuramochi hummed thoughtfully. "Seidou isn't all about paperwork. I know you're bored by the easy jobs - but it's different here. It's challenging; we don't always stay in the office for work."

Oh? Kuramochi was surprisingly sharp with his rough demeanor. Seidou did him good. "I'll think about it."

Kuramochi cleared his throat. Eijun, not liking how the rustling beside him was a telling sign of discomfort, opened his eyes. "Say it, Kuramochi-senpai," Eijun said calmly. "I'm listening."

"Miyuki asked if it was okay coming over and I agreed."

Eijun tapped his finger on the arms of the chair. This wasn't a simple dinner. Seeing that Seidou's boss refused to step out for photographs, him revealing his face here was a definite cause of suspicion.

"Why would he want to come here?" Eijun asked, angling his face to look at Kuramochi. His senior was obviously tense - it was rare, and he would have cracked a smile if not for the situation at present.

Kuramochi sighed heavily. "I accidentally let it slip today. I didn't imagine that he would want to come along and - " In the darkness, Eijun could spot the flush on Kuramochi's face.

Ah, no wonder he was so embarrassed. "He charmed you into agreeing," Eijun stated bluntly, not bothering to phrase it as a question. _Now,_ he was interested to meet him, too. But if he did want to keep his identity secret.. that meant he was adamant to make him his employee. Why, though? He was risking the secrecy by exposing himself. Eijun's eyes narrowed as he reached a conclusion.

This Miyuki was absolutely certain that he'd join his firm. Then the interview was only for appearance's sake?

"Miyuki said you can decline.." The tone of Kuramochi's voice was urging him to reply positively, though.

He felt like he was jumping into lion's den, but hell, why not? He was obviously issuing him a challenge and testing him at the same time if he realized what this offer meant. Well, well, Miyuki, let's see how good you are.

"It's fine, he's welcome here." Eijun stood from his seat. Collecting the empty glasses on the table, he gestured to the bookshelves behind them. "Go ahead. I'll go change."

Kuramochi heaved a sigh of relief. "I swear, I was so worried that you'd reject it. It's just a simple dinner, after all."

A simple dinner. He suppressed the bubbling excitement inside him as he turned for the door. He was unexpectedly excited for this... _simple dinner._

* * *

**A/N: Honestly, I'd planned for them to meet in this chapter, but Eijun somehow got out of control? (Coughs) Miyuki will definitely be appearing in the next chapter officially. Finally. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter.**

**Do leave me a review to tell me your thoughts!**

**-mysticflakes**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! As usual, thank you for every favorite, follow, review and simply giving this story a chance! I had quite a bit of fun writing their interactions in this chapter and I'm pretty sure I'd be grinning when I'm working on the next.**

* * *

A crystal chandelier hung over the middle of the dark wooden dining table, which stretched about 10 feet long with four upholstered chairs draped with white satin cloth on the length of each side; the elegant victorian carpet was rolled under the dining table, with the potted areca palm tree resting on it at the corner of the area. Leading down the dining platform was the living room, a cream-colored leather sofa on each side along with an armchair beside as company.

For a moment, Eijun admired the dining room under soft, warm glow of the yellow light, fingering the rim of his wineglass. The silence was heavy, stifling; quite unlike what he had imagined the dinner to be. Miyuki was unexpectedly quiet even during the introduction, and Kuramochi tripping over his boss' name when greeting him made suspicion stir in Eijun.

Dinner was uneventful, and Eijun would've found himself disappointed if he had not discovered the truth halfway throughout.

"Thanks for the meal," the man bowed, the curly brown hair reflecting a shade of blond under the light - he truly did look like a mix. His fingers curled around the handle of his suitcase, preparing to leave.

Eijun returned the gesture politely, inclining his head slightly. "Send my greetings to Miyuki-san, would you?"

Behind him, he heard Kuramochi spluttering on his drink. Eijun allowed a cool smile to play on his lips as he brought the mix to the door. "I've matters to attend to; I'll ask Franellia to escort you out."

The maid waiting by the door bowed deeply at her name. Eijun flicked his eyes over to her. "Do a good job, Franellia."

Franellia blushed a deep red. "Of course, Sawamura-sama."

The mix paused at the door, the brief flicker of light in his dull brown eyes would've taken Eijun off-guard if he hadn't been more careful. "What makes you think I'm not Miyuki-san?"

Eijun eyed the man contemplatively. "What makes you think I'm going to list it out for you?"

The man's lips twitched; be it out of amusement or annoyance, it was the first time since the introduction that he had revealed some emotion.

"Uh - Chr - I mean, uh - " Kuramochi stumbled over his words, then he ruffled his hair, cursing under his breath.

"Thank you for today." With that, the man turned and left with Franellia, face as stoic as Eijun had first saw him. The door shut behind them.

"Kuramochi-senpai, you should work on _not_ concealing your emotions that much," Eijun said, moving over the the round table and poured some more wine into his glass. Tilting the bottle in question to his senior, the latter shook his head.

Kuramochi flopped himself down on the sofa with a small sigh. "What gave it away?"

"You were too expressionless at the beginning," Eijun said, another smirk quirking on his lips as he took the seat beside Kuramochi, "and you seemed uncomfortable with calling his name and then avoided saying his name altogether during the conversations. Seeing that you mentioned Miyuki-san without honorifics even before, I'd gathered that you two are on rather close terms. And..."

Kuramochi's brows raised. "And?"

"Must I list everything out for you?"

Kuramochi let out an indignant yell. "Brat!"

Arm circling around Eijun's neck, Kuramochi pulled his junior to his lap. Eijun coughed, slapping his arm, "_Senpai_!"

Kuramochi let out a laugh, this time his usual annoying, cackle-like laughter and released him from the grip. Eijun rolled his eyes, rubbing his neck; at least this was the senpai he knew.

However, that didn't mean he'd forget that Miyuki had played him.

_Bloody bastard._

* * *

"Let's take a break," Miyauchi said as he stood from his position, taking off his headgear. Eijun's grip tightened on the ball, biting back his protest and he gave a stiff nod as the catcher jogged off to the coolers to get a drink.

He tugged on his baseball cap, closing his eyes - yesterday's night flashed past his eyes for the umpteenth time - adjusting his grip on the seams of the ball, he flung the ball which hit the wall with a loud smack, rebounding back to him.

Eijun took in a deep breath to regain his composure as he caught the ball. It wasn't as if he hated playing games, it was the fact that he was dangerously close to falling into the trap the Miyuki had set up. To think he had even gotten foolishly _excited _to meet him - how old was he? Seven? He had long grown out of the phase. Eijun barely kept himself from cringing as he thought of the humiliation he suffered yesterday night and to think he only caught on in the middle of the dinner affair - he cursed under his breath.

"Hello."

The voice was unfamiliar; low and an almost mocking lilt present. Whirling around, Eijun saw a man with an eyeguard donned, catcher mitt in hand, standing at the entrance of the bullpen. Despite the way he was dressed casually, he carried himself with grace and confidence as he reached a few feet before Eijun, eyes flickering over the pitcher's form.

Realization dawned on Eijun almost immediately when the hazelnut brown eyes weighed on his golden orbs. The man he saw at the ball previously - but why was he here?

Eijun cocked a brow. "Who are you?"

He waved his mitt, flashing him a grin. "We should get acquainted through baseball, hm?"

Eijun refused to let himself be intimidated by the stranger's presence: the way he strode in confidently, the regal grace he held himself, the airy tone he used were all telling signs of how used he was to getting his way - and the smug grin tugging on his lips only served to fuel Eijun's irritation, which he managed to conceal. "Your name?"

The man threw him a look. "I'd be disappointed if you don't have a name in mind."

Eijun's eyes narrowed.

Lowering himself to a crouch, mitt in place, he called, "Aren't you a pitcher?"

The challenge was definitely present.

Winding up his leg, Eijun's arm swung back, then flung the ball forward without a word of warning. For a moment the ball seemed like it was a simple fastball, going down the middle - then the ball's height dropped rapidly and shot right into the waiting mitt.

Eijun was sure his face didn't reveal any of his surprise, but he was momentarily taken aback by how the man didn't seem to fumble with the erratic course his pitch took. No one had managed to catch his splitter at the first try - and this man didn't display any difficulty in doing so. That meant he had played baseball and was an excellent, experienced catcher at that - or that he had seen Eijun pitch before. The pitcher considered him briefly.

"That all you've got?" The taunt was back again.

The ball landed snugly in Eijun's left hand; with a small smirk playing on his lips, "No."_  
_

* * *

When Eijun strolled out of the showers, bag slung over his shoulder, he was not at all surprised to see the bespectacled man waiting at the gates. In fact, he'd have been disappointed if he had left without even attempting to invite him along - the lack of drive and determination would be quite off-putting.

"What do you want?" Eijun asked flatly, walking over to the waiting car by the pavement, careful to keep his steps slow and small enough for the conversation to last. He was the one in control in this situation, he knew_;_ he had a ready mode of transport at his bidding and the man had to earn his agreement in this short amount of time Eijun had _graced _him with, yet he felt slighted at how comfortably the man was handling the situation.

"Dinner," he drawled, falling into step beside him easily. "With you."

Eijun flicked his glance over at the man strolling beside him, irritation spiking up in him at the airy way the man was speaking despite him not having the upper-hand. He arched a brow with a wry grin on his lips. "With you?"

For a moment, the man's lips twitched. Then he threw his head back, barking out a hearty laughter. "With me, of course."

Eijun was momentarily surprised by the easy laughter. Pursing his lips as he reached the car, he replied, "Wouldn't know about that."

He reached for the car handle when a hand clasped around his suddenly. Eijun felt an unwanted thrill run through his body at the unexpected touch, and he immediately straightened, pushing down his rising irritation at the man's pushy demeanor. Whirling around the face him as he kept his calm facade on and not shrugging off the touch immediately, Eijun shot him a questioning look.

"Zaikai Kyum," he introduced.

_Zaikai Kyum? __Isn't he...  
_

Eijun pulled his hand away, refusing allow Zaikai to know that he was taken off-guard. With controlled calm, he said without missing a beat, "Goodbye then, Zaikai-san."

With that, he opened the car door, climbed in before slamming it shut in Zaikai's face. _Take that, bastard. _He didn't enjoy being played, and this was just one childish fit he had thrown quite impulsively. Nonetheless, he couldn't suppress the bubbling anticipation in his chest. He held up a hand for Ritsu.

Rolling the windows down, he put on the practiced, apologetic smile he used for rejecting unwanted offers. "I'm in a rush; sorry about this."

Zaikai's glasses flashed, lips curling a little. "It's fine."

Eijun could see a subtle clench of Zaikai's jaw and felt immense satisfaction. As he started to roll the window back up, Zaikai murmured, "There's always a next time, Sawamura."

The way his name rolled off his tongue made Eijun's gut tighten, though not uncomfortably; it held a tone of promise that Eijun found himself being mildly intrigued by. He tilted his head politely in Zaikai's direction, then leaned back on his seat and gestured for Ritsu to start the car.

"Who was it?" Ritsu asked as he swerved out of the driveway.

Eijun shrugged. The name he heard still bugging him; wasn't he Miyuki? His fingers twitched on his lap.

Ritsu chuckled lightly at his response, changing the topic swiftly. "I heard the professor's wife is after you." He shot Eijun a look through the rear mirror. "Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

"I'd be surprised if she didn't," Eijun replied blandly, leaning the side of his face lazily on his fist. He remembered when he first saw her - one of the top models in the industry, looking like a lofty debutante who didn't know much of the world as she posed for the cameras on the red carpet; the flirtatious wink she sent him was rather uninvited, despite her flamboyant beauty.

"Perhaps it'd be good to not have Franellia so close to you, she's a maid - "

Eijun leveled his gaze at Ritsu, who stiffened slightly. "I know what to do, Ritsu-kun."

If Ritsu noticed how close he was keeping the maid by his side for the past few weeks, his plan already had certain success.

* * *

Zaikai Kyum was an elite bureaucrat.

Eijun rolled his shoulders, leaning back on the armchair as he frowned. He was there to scout? No, that'd be impossible. If Zaikai was there to represent the bureaucrats, it'd make more sense for him to get down to business straightaway. Plus, from his demeanor, the attention he commanded was too much to be ignored. Usually, they were exceptionally intelligent and quick on their feet, but they preferred not to engage in veiled conversations when it came to recruiting one of their own.

He had a legitimate profile, though.. Eijun tapped his finger impatiently on the oakwood table.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Franellia scurried in, teacup in hand as she bowed respectfully before setting the steaming tea on his table. He flashed her a smile. "Thank you, Franellia."

She turned red. "I - it's my job, Sawamura-sama." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Is there anything else you'd like help with?"

"No, that's all for now."

He maintained the upturned ends of his lips on his face as she bowed and left the room. Then his smile fell as his eyes returned to the monitor. Who was Zaikai? He had been completely sure that he was Miyuki, yet he introduced himself otherwise.

He grabbed his cell and dialed Kuramochi's number. Within seconds, the call connected.

"Senpai?"

There was a long beat of silence, and Eijun found himself stiffening in his seat.

Then, "Hello, Sawamura."

The rich, baritone voice that answered was unmistakable. Eijun leaned forward on his armchair. _A double identity._ And Miyuki - Zaikai - was purposefully revealing it to him. Miyuki had to be his real name since he had hid his face for that; but if he had gone to such great lengths to cover up his identity, why was he letting him know in such a short amount of time? The way Kuramochi said Miyuki's name during dinner yesterday was comfortable, so Miyuki must have given him the go-ahead to use his real name.. _  
_

"Pleasant to hear your voice again," Eijun deadpanned. "Where's Kuramochi-senpai?"

There was a low chuckle. "You're more impatient than I thought. Such disappointment." Eijun heard a mocking cluck of the tongue over the phone, and his fingers tightened around the metal device in his hand. There was a heavy deadweight settling in his gut for a brief second, and Eijun was disgusted at himself for feeling even the slightest bit affected by how the damned man thought of him.

He was usually calm when it came to handling arrogant, influential people, but this man got under his nerves more than he'd imagined. Perhaps it was because he saw him as an equal in intelligence, or perhaps it was his charm that both _irked _and intrigued him; nonetheless, he craved for this thrill for far too long to relinquish it.

"I'm disappointed at how readily you revealed yourself," Eijun said evenly.

"Touche," came an amused reply. "Dinner at seven."

When Eijun didn't bother to muster a response, Miyuki continued on with the meeting details as if the lack of a reply didn't bother him at all.

"I'll see," Eijun finally said, not liking the presumptuous tone Miyuki was taking.

Miyuki barked out a laugh again. "You _will _come. It's not in you to give this up. See you then, Sawamura."

Sawamura ended the call and eyed the monitor again, lips pursed. He didn't like it, but he was honest enough with himself to admit that Miyuki was right - it was a weakness of his that he acknowledged and was unable to be rid of completely. He stood up with an air of finality and pushed the lid of his laptop down, a smirk tugging on his lips.

* * *

****NOTE: It had been mentioned that the conversation in chapter 2 was a little hard to keep track of (I'm assuming it's the part where they talk about the characters)****; I was going to include some notes at the bottom of chapter 2, but I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested to see my rambles, lmao. It's based on a play, _Twelfth Night _by William Shakespeare. If you are interested, feel free to ask. :)****

**A/N: Um. Another dinner date? Well, at least this chapter is quite packed with Miyuki-goodness. (the irony)**

**Do drop a review to tell me your thoughts! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

**-mysticflakes**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A/N: Ugh, sorry about the late update again. Rambles are below.**

**Warnings and disclaimers in the first chapter.**

**As usual, thank you for every favorite, follow, review and simply giving this story a chance! It's like an experimental fic for me and I wasn't really sure of it, so I'm really glad there're people who are interested to read this.**

* * *

"I see it's not your friend here," Eijun commented lightly, ends of his lips lifting up to a saccharine smile after the waiter took their orders.

Miyuki propped the side of his face against his fist. "I never took you one for holding grudges, Sawamura." He paused, smirk tugging on his lips. "Smiling does suit you, though."

"It was an observation," Eijun said, shrugging and ignoring the compliment he slipped in easily. He could only blame himself for being so easily goaded that he almost fell for the trap - or test - whatever it was that Miyuki had initially planned.

"Kuramochi gave it away, didn't he?" Miyuki mused, swirling the contents of his wineglass leisurely before he took a sip.

"If subtlety is one aspect your firm focuses on, there should be different approaches for each individual and not be done uniformly; it's quite lacking, isn't it?"

"Oh, if we do have sufficient funds, we'd do so," Miyuki said, chuckling, "of course, I'm not expecting you to understand that."

Sawamura lifted his chin slightly, refusing to rise to his bait. Miyuki's underlying jab at his prestigious background was not overlooked, even amidst his chuckles. "_I _don't expect you to understand it either, _Zaikai._"

Miyuki arched a brow, "Oh?"

"Balancing these two particular professions must be tedious - on the other hand, it's rewarding, isn't it?" Eijun allowed a challenging tilt of his brows, then shifted back slightly to make space for the waiter, nodding his thanks as the food was set on the table.

"Perhaps," Miyuki answered blandly, then when the waiter bowed and took his leave, reached for the insides of his pocket and took out a printed beige rectangle, sliding it across the table. "Here's my card."

Eijun eyed it contemplatively, then took it, flipping it over. It was a strange weight, and the card had a different thickness from the business cards he had received before. A dent formed between his brows as he scanned the details briefly. _Zaikai Kyuuym._ Things clicked.

"An anagram wouldn't be smart if you're intending a double identity," Eijun murmured, but slid the card into his front pocket anyway.

"It's fun," Miyuki said, jaunty smile curling his lips as he brought his fork down into his spaghetti.

Eijun pursed his lips, still not figuring out the purpose of having two identities and that greatly irked him. "Your name's spelled differently from official websites."

Miyuki's eyes flicked to meet Eijun's for a brief moment, then returned back to his food. "You checked up on me?" Miyuki didn't look bothered by that at all; on the contrary, he looked rather pleased. "This is a start of a good partnership. Having interest is appropriate."

Eijun recognized that he was dodging the question, but it was no matter - he'd surely find out soon, anyway. What mattered more currently was his _assumption _that Eijun would join him. "I didn't promise you anything." He wanted to wince at how petulant it sounded even to his ears.

Miyuki eyed him, an amused glint alive in the brown orbs. "So you do act your age sometimes." Miyuki leaned back on his chair, satisfied smile on his face like he had accomplished something big. Eijun bristled at his comment, a little irritated by how lightly he made his observation as if Eijun _should _be acting like a temperamental teenager all the time. "Oh, you will, soon enough."

"You better hope so," Eijun said stiffly, mood souring slightly; he smoothed his expression over while under the guise of cutting his steak. "After all, you wouldn't want your secrets to go out public, Zaikai." Eijun didn't attempt to resist the smug grin that curved his lips.

Miyuki waved his hand as if dismissing his threat was nothing of a feat at all. "I don't do things thoughtlessly, darling." _  
_

_Darling? The nerve of this arrogant bastard. _Eijun's lips twitched in annoyance, but he didn't express his irritation outwardly as Miyuki continued, "Wanting to be surrounded by intellectuals is a good thing to wish for. But with your level of intelligence and your thirst for knowledge," Eijun resisted the instinctive urge to look away when Miyuki fixed his eyes on him, filled with intent that still seemed obscure to Eijun; a heavy dead weight settled in his gut. "It wouldn't be enough after a while. You'll get bored."

The conviction Miyuki's tone held almost compelled Eijun to believe him. The ends of Eijun's lips tugged up to a derisive smirk. "And you think working with you wouldn't make me lose interest?"

"Working _under _me," Miyuki corrected him loftily, the way his eyes darkened and dragged over Eijun almost seemed like he was implying something else - but it was gone almost as quickly as it came. Eijun's fingers tightened around his fork, unsure of what to make of it. "As for the latter... well, as long as you don't make me lose interest."

Eijun felt a prick at his ego, but otherwise remained phlegmatic on the surface. "I think first _you _have to interest me enough for us to get to that," Eijun said evenly.

Miyuki grinned. "I knew I wouldn't regret choosing you."

* * *

"I told you not to follow me," Ryousuke said, fingers tugging on his tie as he pulled the constricting piece of article off, flinging it on the couch.

The younger Kominato stood at the hallway, head bowed and almost looking meek. Ryousuke wasn't fooled at all by this external display; his brother had to be one - if not the most stubborn out of all the people he knew. Ryousuke pulled the fridge door open to get a can of beer while waiting for Haruichi's response. From his peripheral vision, he could see Haruichi wringing his hands and resisted the urge to separate them - then Haruichi fixed his gaze on the can of beer disapprovingly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you if you want it," Ryousuke said, kicking the fridge door shut.

Haruichi's lips remained pursed. "You shouldn't drink too much of that," he said.

"Worry about yourself first, Haruichi," Ryousuke said, and saw surprise flit over his brother's face as Ryousuke addressed him by his name for the first time since he turned up at his apartment door, uninvited. Ryousuke still had no idea how long Haruichi waited for him out there. "I wasn't particularly happy about seeing your name on the list."

A steely glint entered his brother's eyes, face turning slightly red; Ryousuke knew it wasn't out of embarrassment all too clear. He hid his smile by the rim of the can that he lifted to his lips. _You never change much, Haruichi. _

"I've made my choice, Aniki," Haruichi said, voice not wavering at the slightest, and for a moment Ryousuke thought he glimpsed at the rare occurrence of Haruichi's eyes flashing out from under his fringe. "And I'm not going to change it."

"It's not as easy as you think it is," Ryousuke said, more of a truth than a deterrence. It wasn't as if he had expected Haruichi to change his mind with a few jabs; that wouldn't be his brother at all.

Haruichi lifted his chin, and Ryousuke wanted to chuckle at how this scene felt nostalgic - like it was back when they were still teenagers and arguing over baseball. "I never thought it'd be easy."

"First baseball, and now this?" Ryousuke set the can of beer down on the table, leaning an arm against the edge with a mocking smirk curving his lips. "Are you ever going to have your own goals?"

For a moment, Ryousuke saw Haruichi's expression twist, as if hurt. Ryousuke felt the guilt twist his gut, but didn't say anything else to smooth his statement over. He knew it was going to be a low jab from the very beginning. "My goal is to catch up to you, Aniki."

"Don't come crying to me when you fail."

A wry grin twisted Haruichi's lips as he bent at his waist to collect his bag from the couch. "It's not absolute." Haruichi shifted the straps on his shoulder, the hesitation now completely gone, as if the visit with Ryousuke helped lifted his doubts. Ryousuke really didn't understand his brother at times. "Mum and Dad miss you."

The statement took him off-guard, and Ryousuke responded by gulping another mouthful of his beer.

A heavy silence fell on the room; like the hush that settled when people are anticipating a thrilling response, like the heavy drapes drawing over a finalizing act. Finally, as if Haruichi realized that Ryousuke wasn't going to say anything about that, he announced, "I'm leaving."

"Do you've a place to stay?" Ryousuke asked, the question more of duty as a brother than concern.

"I have a friend."

Ryousuke didn't bother to pry further; he wasn't going to fool himself into believing that he had a right to handle his brother's affairs when he only just saw him after two years. A beeping sound signaled his front door opening before it was followed by a softer, duller click of the door.

Haruichi had grown taller, if not more so than him; there was now a distinctive sharpness in his features, having finally fully outgrown his baby fats, and there was a subdued air of confidence surrounding him. The changes were subtle, but Ryousuke could pick them out well.

In the midst of his musings, his phone vibrated on the table and Zaikai's name flashed over the screen. An end of Ryousuke lips curled upwards as he reached for his phone. "Now, what a timely call, Miyuki."

* * *

Wakana slammed Eijun's door open, not at all flustered at having caught Eijun at an inappropriate time. Eijun pulled his shirt off, throwing it on the floor carelessly. He had intended to call Toji back with his incessant phone calls during dinner, but it seemed like the plan was foiled.

"Wakana, I'm changing," Eijun said calmly, not affected by her panicky appearance - she had a flair of kicking up a fuss over nothing sometimes, after all. "Maybe this can wait."

"Hell no!"

Eijun flicked his glance over at his childhood friend who now sat on his couch, arms crossed with a fierce expression on her face. Sighing, he threw his shirt on, moving over to close the door to give them at least some privacy.

"All right, so what is it?"

"Madano Tsukishima is now banging on our door looking like she's about to murder you!" Wakana gestured wildly with her hands. "This is not good, not good at all! Imagine what would happen if our parents find out about this!"

Eijun arched a brow at her, not taken aback by the news. "She was a little earlier than I expected."

Wakana blinked. "You - " Realization set in a second later and her eyes narrowed. She jabbed a finger at him and accused, "What did you do again?!"

Eijun was mildly amused by Wakana's shift in mood. Women were really difficult to understand. "It's more of _who _the professor _did._" Eijun chuckled slightly at his own joke, and could tell that Wakana was torn between laughing with him and giving him a piece of her mind.

She settled for the latter. "I can't believe you! This is not the time to be cracking jokes!"

"Don't worry, don't worry," Eijun said airily, dismissing her concerns easily, "oh, and call Franellia in for my cup of tea."

"You are calling for a cup of _tea _right now?!" Wakana's voice raised to a almost a screech, and Eijun winced slightly. "_Eijun!_"

"I know what I'm doing," Eijun said, attempting to placate her, "go back to your room."

"I'm expecting a full explanation later on." With that, Wakana left, though not before she landed a stinging slap on his arm. This woman really could hit hard. Eijun rubbed it absently, shaking his head.

A few minutes later, Franellia arrived with his cup of tea, setting it down with a small tremble. Eijun eyed the motion with mild interest, and wondered if Franellia knew of the disturbance downstairs. Anyway, the timing was almost right.

"Sawamura Eijun!" The door banged open as Madano advanced towards him with determined strides. "You're destroying my reputation!"

"What reputation?" Eijun dented the space between his brows, standing up to receive her. "And what are you doing here?"

Madano looked bewildered, then slightly uneasy at what Eijun was sure, his display of complete confusion. It quickly morphed to fury again when she spotted the cowering maid by his side. "Ah! Your favoured maid, was it?!"

Eijun cocked his head to the side. "I've no idea - "

"Frany or whatever her name is," Madano said, seething, "she's under your care. Ratted out your secret, didn't she?"

Eijun paused, turning over to look at Franellia who was positively quaking under both their eyes. "Franellia," he said, voice soft and gentle, "did you?"

"I - Sawamura-sama! It wasn't - I - " Franellia fisted the front of her apron, tears running down her flushed cheeks, unable to get a coherent statement out.

"I see," Eijun said, turning his attention back to Madano who still looked furious. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't know she would."

"Of course you wouldn't!" Madano sneered. "I heard about you being blinded by her beauty. For God's sake, I didn't take you to be that kind of man!"

Eijun had to hold back the chuckles that were threatening to burst out of his throat. "I..." He lifted his eyes to meet Madano's, letting the ends of his lips droop slightly, expression loosening to display his regret and apology, "I'm so sorry about this. What can we do to make up to you?"

Madano faltered, obviously not expecting a sincere apology. Eijun gestured to the seat beside him. "Would you like to take a seat?"

Madano shook her head, declining his offer. "I'm here about my husband. I really don't want the tabloids publishing it on the papers."

Eijun leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Right, the tabloids." He sighed heavily. "All right. I will take care of them. What else?"

"Fire her." Madano pointed to the maid who was now choking out quiet sobs. "She's your favorite, isn't she?"

_My favourite gossiper. _Eijun resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Well, that - "

Madano lifted her chin. "I'm not going to back down."

Eijun waited for a few moments to pass, then let out another troubled sigh. "There's no way other than this? She's a valued staff."

The more he tried to deter Madano, the more the model seemed satisfied, as if she was taking something precious away from him. He swallowed his scoff; if the maid really meant more than a plaything, she'd be undoubtedly safe. _"Staff,"_ Madano sneered. "Get her out."

Eijun pursed his lips, waiting for the demand to sink in.

"I'm so sorry, Franellia," Eijun said softly after a moment, stepping forward and patting her on the shoulder. He brushed the stray curl that fell in front of her eyes away gently. Franellia shook her head, managing to stammer out an apology through her muffled sobs.

"I'll pay you appropriately," Eijun murmured, and the maid nodded again - that was the only consolation she had, after all. Madano laughed, bitter and cold; as if Franellia couldn't take the humiliation any longer, she turned on her heel and exited the room with her head bowed. Eijun didn't bother to stop her - he was already tired of the charade, to be honest.

"If that is all," Eijun said, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm afraid I must tend to my sister. She's rather alarmed by your sudden arrival."

"Sorry about that," Madano said carelessly, checking the wristwatch, "it's late. I'm leaving. And I expect the tabloids _not _to get wind of this."

Eijun nodded; he already had another bigger scandal under his fingertips to divert their attention, anyway. "Have a good night." He inclined his head as she nodded stiffly and left, now considerably calmer as she was escorted down the hallway by one of the maids.

A vibration on the table startled him slightly. _Toji Hideaki _flashed on the screen. He shut the door behind him as he answered the call. "Hello?"

"Jesus! You finally answered your phone!" Toji exclaimed on the other end and Eijun rolled his eyes. Seriously, this boy had to learn to take more control of his emotions.

"What happened that's so urgent, requiring you to call me - " Eijun took a quick glance at his history, "ten times in succession?"

"There's apparently a lawsuit against us," Toji said, voice still high-strung. "And she wants a meeting face-to-face."

"Your father?" Eijun heard Toji's affirmation. "He needs someone more than twenty years his junior to teach him what to say?" Eijun asked dryly. When Toji attempted to muster a response, Eijun dismissed him with a weary, "Rhetorical question."

Eijun could hear urgent mutterings in the background. _Oh, for God's sake. _

"Just pass him the phone," Eijun said, voice of measured of calm as Toji gave a flustered reply. He pressed his fingers against his temple, not amused at all. His parents were only out of the country for a week and they couldn't hold the company down? What kind of employees did they have?

"Sawamura-kun!" Takuna greeted as he took the call. "I'm so sorry - "

"Cut the formalities," Eijun interrupted, tapping his finger on the arm of the couch impatiently. "I don't have time."

"I'm sorry," Takuna said again, "um, you see, this lady complained about our milk making her infant sick and she sent the medical bills along with the letter - "

"And why can't you settle this matter yourself?"

There was a nervous jumble of words, then, "I kinda offended her before."

Eijun really didn't want to know what the word 'offended' meant in his context. "Okay. Send her an official certification of our dairy products along with an apology letter but _don't _apologize for our product, apologize for the distress it has caused her child. If it still doesn't appease her and she still demands a meeting, wear a casual tee, bermudas - just look like a family man. Do you've a kid? Whatever it is, get one and bring him or her to the meeting. Apologize for your lack of manners; blame it on stress, alcohol - I'm sure you've lots of excuses." Eijun paused. "All right. Is that all?"

"Yes, yes, thank - "

"Please take better care of your conduct next time," Eijun said, not bothering to hide his exasperation. "Good night."

Eijun hung up the call before the man could even get another thanks in. It really wasn't that difficult, was it? What were their brains made of? He leaned the side of his head against his hand as he dialed for Ritsu.

"Ritsu? Dig that article up and send it to the tabloids." After a small pause, he added, "Franellia's matter had been settled."

"Right! That's awesome, kid!" Ritsu said brightly.

"Yeah, yeah," Eijun said, though a small smile played on his lips, "I'll get you some new sunglasses later on."

"You're the best, sir!"

* * *

There was a knock on the door, and the new attendant bowed respectfully. "Sawamura-sama, Kominato-sama is here."

Eijun closed his book. Finally. He was wondering what took Haruichi so long. "Send him in."

A second later, Haruichi stepped in, pink hair still covering his eyes like it was in high school. Eijun studied him for a moment, lips curling slightly when he realized he hadn't changed at all. "Harucchi," he said, more out of habit than anything. He had heard Haruichi's softly-uttered name in high school wrongly, and somehow it stuck; though honestly, a big part of it was attributed to Haruichi's amusing reaction.

Sure enough, a bright blush overtook his cheeks as he got visibly flustered, hand reaching to the back of his head.

"One would've thought you'd get over it by now," Eijun commented lightly, shaking his head; though it was one of fond exasperation. "I've prepared a room for you already."

"Thank you so much, Eijun-kun!" Haruichi said, smile dimpling both his cheeks. Eijun wondered how a twenty-one year old could look like a kid with just a smile. "I was really worried about my stay here."

"I imagine you couldn't have gone to Ryousuke," Eijun said bluntly, gesturing for Haruichi to follow him as he led the younger Kominato down the hallway to his room.

"Aniki would've offered," Haruichi said firmly, and Eijun's eyes slant at Haruichi's hidden ones, then he shrugged.

"Sure." Eijun passed Haruichi his room key. "So I heard you're following his footsteps, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm going to apply for a bureaucrat too." Red colored Haruichi's cheeks as he fumbled with the lock of his suitcase.

Eijun was a little surprised by how determined Haruichi sounded; but he supposed one really couldn't judge Haruichi by his appearance. "How did the meeting with your brother go?" He asked, leaning against the doorframe of Haruichi's room.

Haruichi startled, nearly dropping the clothes that he was unpacking. "How did you know?"

"Observation," Eijun murmured the cryptic reply. Honestly, it was more of a logical guess, but Haruichi's reaction confirmed it. The younger Kominato laughed; it was soft and genuine - something rare among the people he knew. Miyuki's face flashed past at that moment and Eijun cast him away almost immediately. He didn't need Miyuki occupying his thoughts more than necessary.

"Eijun-kun, your observation is sharp as usual," Haruichi said, flashing Eijun a small grin.

* * *

**A/N: PHEW. I finally got this chapter out. I'm so, so sorry about the late update. **

**So things are finally picking up; and yeah the characters are mostly connected. I just needed to tie up the loose end on Franellia in this chapter, pffft. **

**And to the anonymous reviewer Taz: I really wanted to reply to your review but you were on anon. Haha, I'm glad I'm still alive, lmao.**

**(*whispers* Did you guys catch the innuendo) **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and do drop a review to tell me your thoughts!**

**-mysticflakes**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, favorites, alerts and for simply giving this fic a chance!**

**(sorry about this terribly late update, and I hope the chapter makes up for at least half of it..)**

**on another note, I'm so sorry about the 'false' update alert yesterday. I looked the chapter over and thought I missed some things to put in so I took the chapter down to plug some gaps. I'll check the chapter thoroughly next time, so hopefully there won't be a repeat of this again.. **

**Happy reading, I hope!**

* * *

"Yes, things are going fine in the company." Eijun rolled the fountain pen on the wooden table to-and-fro lazily. His parents were certainly not being very subtle about their motives. He knew what his parents were attempting to attain by leaving the country for a whole week for a business trip in which their attendance wasn't necessary, though of course, it would be optimal. They knew he was ready to take over the ropes, but he needed to build the trust and rapport with the people on the Board first: most of them were easily won over, but there were others who expressed doubt at his young age.

It wasn't as if he was going to assume his father's position right away, but it irked him how people dared to question his capability or think his early graduation meant he was buying his way through the education system. Sure, he _did_ pull some strings to skip a year or two, since their system typically didn't allow for any of that to take place, but he always remained the top in his cohort nonetheless with his own ability.

_Senile fools. _

Eijun rested his head back against the chair. "You won't make it in time for the meeting?"

He held back a snort. His father really loved playing little games like these, didn't he. Not that he was surprised at all; in fact, he had already prepared the materials beforehand. He was rarely ever wrong, and even if he _was_, the data he collected on the management of the company would not be for naught; there was never too much to learn about the company. "I will handle it, don't worry." He paused for a bit, trapping the pen underneath the pad of his finger absentmindedly and stopping its momentum.

"Good night."

He ended the call promptly, and wheeled his chair forward to slide a file off the top of the pile. It wouldn't be bad to make sure he remembered every single detail, even though it was just a routine meeting. He hadn't been in them for months, and for the previous ones he had been to, he was expected to just sit in and listen to the contents of the meeting and familiarize himself with the settings.

It was dull. Monotonous. Stuck to his seat as he let his eyes skim over the men and women clad in stiff business suits and profiling them with mechanic interest.

A corner of his mouth lifted as he flipped to the next page, eyes scanning over the bar graphs.

There was bound to be some entertainment when he arrived for the meeting.

* * *

"Are you busy?"

The softly uttered question snapped Eijun out of his rumination as he circled a number on his notes, and he looked up to see Haruichi standing at the door. "No. Are you hungry? I can get the servants to prepare supper if you like."

Haruichi shook his head. "I'm fine, I had something before I came here." He pushed the door shut behind him and moved to seat himself on the armchair beside Eijun. "I heard that you're scouted?"

Eijun arched a brow. "Scouted by?"

Haruichi fidgeted a moment more, pink hair falling in front of his eyes. "The bureaucrats."

"Oh, that." Eijun made note of the page number before he shut the file and placed it back on the table. He didn't think that it'd bother Haruichi, to be honest. The boy was strong-willed and dedicated; he was someone who thrived in difficult situations, even if he didn't look like it - and he definitely wasn't the kind to be jealous. _So what is he trying to do? _"Kuramochi-senpai told you?"

"I dropped by his workplace briefly before I went to my brother's."

Eijun hummed, waiting for Haruichi to continue. He was one of the few that Eijun couldn't fully read, and right now, he wasn't sure what direction Haruichi was veering their conversation to.

"Are you going to take up the offer?"

"I don't know yet," Eijun answered, then asked, "Would it matter?"

"I - you are brilliant, Eijun-kun," Haruichi murmured, head finally lifting up to direct his hidden gaze at Eijun. "But I won't lose."

Eijun blinked, mildly bewildered.

_Is he here to declare his rivalry?_

Then he threw his head back and laughed, taken aback and quite humored. "You have nothing to worry about, Harucchi." He let his fingers brush past Haruichi's bare arm that rested close to his; a casual, fleeting touch. Haruichi's face reddened. "I know you'd do well."

Haruichi smiled, red still staining his cheeks. "I'd love to have you as a colleague. You sure are popular, aren't you?"

At Eijun's look, Haruichi gave a snort and clarified: "Don't act confused. Seidou, too, wasn't it?"

"I favor applying for the bureaucrats, though," Eijun admitted, a little amused at Haruichi's quick switch in demeanor. Though he was usually predictable, there were times of caprice, and it made his company entertaining.

"Didn't the boss take a liking to you, though?" Haruichi asked.

_Did he? _It was still strange how Miyuki behaved - did he remember his father exerting that much of an effort to recruit a person? It was honestly more of people throwing themselves at his feet. It made Eijun uncomfortable knowing that Miyuki was possibly after something more than a partner in his work, and Eijun couldn't figure out what it was yet.

Eijun let out a wry chuckle. "He sure tells you everything, doesn't he?"

"We aren't partners on the field for nothing, Eijun-kun." Haruichi grinned. "So?"

"Or maybe I'll just take my father's position right off the bat after graduation."

Haruichi snorted disbelievingly. "You would be wasting the contract you made with him."

Eijun shrugged. He wasn't _that _against taking up the position, honestly. He just didn't like being tied down with paperwork and the shaking of hands here and there; before dedicating his lifetime to such mundane affairs, he wanted to experience something else - preferably something thrilling and challenging. "I will see." Eijun fingered the silk material of the armchair.

"So you are considering Seidou?" Haruichi asked, tilting his head to the side.

Eijun stopped the movements of his finger, feeling suspicion rise up within him - he flicked a brief glance in Haruichi's direction. "I'm thinking about it."

"You don't usually think over things like these over for long," Haruichi mused, tucking a loose strand of pink hair behind his ear. "You always seem to have a clear goal in mind."

Eijun gave a noncommittal hum, shifting his eyes to linger on Haruichi's face thoughtfully. "Not all things have clear answers, Harucchi."

"The boss must be pretty charming for you to second-guess your initial decision."

Eijun let that comment hang in the air, and when Haruichi's lips parted again, allowed the corner of his lips to curl into a derisive smirk. "Did Kuramochi-senpai put you up to this?"

Haruichi faltered and pressed his lips together, not giving a reply.

"In exchange for Ryousuke's address, was it?" Eijun questioned, though it was already answered with Haruichi's silence. Haruichi might be better at lying compared to Kuramochi, but that didn't mean that he couldn't pick up on Haruichi's unusual inquisitiveness.

Haruichi sighed. "Sorry, Eijun-kun. I promised."

From the looks of it, Haruichi wasn't a very willing party in the agreement; Eijun didn't blame Haruichi for his part - it was a pretty fair exchange, and asking for Eijun's opinion did not cost much from his side as well. Considering the previous instance, he reckoned that Kuramochi was lightly manipulated to this, and he was both annoyed and amused. "It's fine. I seem to be the primary target these days, aren't I?" Eijun felt his lips stretch to a grin. "Why don't you just tell senpai that I'm applying for the bureaucrats?"

Haruichi's head lifted sharply. Eijun grinned.

* * *

He knew his fingers were gripping the seams too tightly before the ball was even released. His jaw clenched irritably as he watched the baseball hit the wall with a sharp smack, and rolled with rapidly-depleting life towards him before it reached an anti-climatic stop, not even making a full three inches. He gritted his teeth as he glared at the ball laying a few meters away from him, making a rough, frustrated swipe at the trickle of sweat down his forehead.

_This is pathetic. _

What kind of pitching was that? His mind was absolutely _boiling_ with irritation, and he knew it would be futile to try a new breaking ball in this condition if he continued on.

He scowled at the thought of giving up before he even made decent progress. He had to get the amount of pressure right, at the very least.

Resisting the urge to stomp his feet on the way to retrieving his ball, he bent over to grab it swiftly in his hand and froze for a split second when he spotted a smirking figure leaning against the fence from his peripheral vision. He was not expecting his presence. Not so soon, anyway. He didn't think Miyuki would actually turn up right in his face just a day after.

Frankly, he debated with himself the night before if he was being too impulsive, throwing his choice so dismissively like that. He had wondered if he'd regret his choice if Miyuki retracted his offer, and he knew he certainly would, but it'd disappoint him slightly because he'd have thought that Miyuki would've seen through it.

Either that, or he had seen through it and didn't see Eijun... _worthy_ enough to continue his pursuit. The fact that he was here definitely struck the option off, but he briefly pondered if Miyuki could possibly be insulted - as quickly as the idea came, he shrugged it off. He didn't care about pleasing Miyuki very much, and right now he was interrupting his practice with such an annoyingly easy grin on his face that it grated his nerves.

Eijun tightened his grip on the ball he was holding onto and whirled around to face him.

"Miyuki-_san_," Eijun greeted with a saccharine tone, mild irritation seeping in nonetheless, "to what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise visit?"

"Put that scowl of yours away, Sawamura." Miyuki didn't look affected by his sour mood at all, now only an arm's length away from Eijun, "I'm aware practice time is over."

"If you'd use that bit of awareness, Miyuki," Sawamura said, even as the annoyance was starting to be replaced by a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, "you'd realize I'm trying to get a pitch down."

Miyuki arched a brow, smirk twisting the corners of his mouth. "I can help you with that."

Eijun knew very well that Miyuki was definitely more than capable of that, but it wouldn't bring him any form of satisfaction if he didn't figure it out himself. Not that he would even consider letting Miyuki help him, even if he was seeking for guidance. "No, thank you."

Miyuki was silent for a moment, merely holding Eijun's eyes with an undecipherable stare. Eijun did not squirm or display any outward signs of discomfort, instead focusing on the suspicion and wariness that was becoming increasingly prominent. What was Miyuki doing here? Was he here as an employer, a bureaucrat, or... something else?

"I assume your lunch break is free?"

Eijun could feel the tick of his jaw. "I am _practicing._"

"I would love your company, though," Miyuki said cheerily. The smile was still lingering on Miyuki's lips, but Eijun could detect the undercurrent of a warning.

He turned to fling the ball towards the netted basket while letting a soft exhale escape him. Perhaps the break would help. He needed to clear his mind and get rid of his growing frustration, anyway; he'd be getting nowhere if he resumed practice today. Truthfully, a small part of him might even be grateful for Miyuki's timely interruption.

Eijun followed Miyuki out from the secluded area he was practicing in, rounding the sharp corner of the back of an abandoned equipment room. The fields and bullpen were already empty of players, and he could hear the loud and boisterous racket coming from the canteen when he strained his ears.

He wasn't surprised when Miyuki walked past it without a single glance to its direction; it would be distracting with a roomful of eyes set on them, furtive whispers aside. Of course, it wasn't as if Miyuki's face was well-known at all, but a stranger wearing suit and tie, looking so prim and proper settling in a rowdy cafeteria with the heir of Sawamura Corporation would definitely garner some attention.

As they walked out of the compound, Miyuki slanted his eyes at Eijun. "I'm assuming you aren't picky?"

"I'm not." Eijun wasn't brought up to have the right to pick at his food, even if they did have the money. His parents taught him better than that; not only for the ease of socializing in public events, but the particular upbringing also stemmed from the basic respect and appreciation for food and farmers themselves.

Miyuki continued his silent, regal gait, face schooled to a stoic mask.

"I said I would think about the offer," Eijun spoke up, a little tentative as he tried to figure out Miyuki's agenda for his visit. "You didn't have to come."

"Maybe I'm just interested in you," Miyuki drawled, and though he did not turn to face Eijun, the younger boy could see a corner of his mouth lifting to an amused smirk.

Eijun wasn't fooled by what Miyuki said. He'd surely have met far more interesting individuals than himself with his professions. Eijun held back any retorts and let the silence drift atop of them once more. Miyuki did not rectify the situation, only opting to gesture Eijun into a rather empty cafe down the street, allowing the waitress to lead them to a secluded table before passing them with a menu.

Once their orders were made, the waitress left with a respectful bow.

"Ever been here?"

Eijun was slightly taken off-guard - he didn't exactly expect that to be the first question thrown at him. "No. I prefer to have my meals in the cafeteria."

"I can see you socializing well with your schoolmates," Miyuki remarked lightly as the waitress returned, setting two cups of tea before she left their table promptly.

Eijun took a cube of sugar from the glass jar beside him and dropped one into his tea. As he stirred the sugar cube in and watched it dissolve in the hot liquid, he waited for Miyuki to continue the conversation. He was sure Miyuki wasn't here to talk about his socializing skills or the places he had his meals.

"Are you not going to order a full meal?"

Eijun set his cup down on the saucer, tongue darting out absentmindedly to lick traces of the sweet liquid off his lips. "I'm not very hungry."

"Stressed?" Miyuki leaned forward, resting both arms on the table. His folded fingers on the table were mere inches away from Eijun's, and the younger boy felt a strange shudder pass through his body at that observation. It was a picture of interest: brown eyes dark and seemingly intrigued, lips drawn back to reveal a grin full of teeth.

Eijun could feel a flush creeping up his neck, but did not let that hinder the tranquility of his speech. "Somewhat."

"Not your academics, I assume?" Miyuki probed, a strange glint in his eyes as he leaned the side of his face against his knuckles; the simple act was strangely alluring and graceful, and Eijun looked away first, fingers wrapping around the handle of his cup.

"It's more to do with..." Eijun raised his eyes boldly to meet Miyuki's. "Decisions."

He lifted the cup to his lips.

"Work for me." Miyuki's voice was a low whisper, cutting to the chase.

Eijun hid his eyes behind the rim under the guise of taking another sip. "No. I told you I needed time to think it over, and it still stands."

"That wasn't a question." When Eijun set his cup back down, the grin had slid away from Miyuki's face, but the piercing gaze remained. Eijun could feel a cold trickle down his spine; it wasn't out of fear, it was more of...

_thrill._

"I find you interesting enough, Sawamura, so I'm going to make my offer again." Eijun found his breath hitched in his throat, attention not shifting away from Miyuki. The air that was surrounding him now was commandeering, and even if Eijun wanted to look away, he probably couldn't. "Hopefully you'll be smart enough to accept it."

Eijun's fingers stayed tight around the porcelain, afraid they'd tremble when they've nothing to hold onto.

"I'll offer you an opportunity to sit in for one meeting, get a grasp of what the environment is like." Miyuki's mouth had turned upwards, eyes glinting sharply behind the lenses of his glasses. "Maybe you'll find something else in there." There was a tone of promise, as if there was something more than Seidou just being a simple law firm.

Eijun's abdomen twisted, cold and icy. A chance to work with people like Miyuki - not that people with his level of intelligence or charisma could be found anywhere - but individuals that at least were working towards this? A rush of adrenaline wrecked through his veins, and his hand jerked when he pulled it back to fold his arms against his chest.

He was quite aware that Miyuki was giving him an ultimatum; there was bound to be more than what he was offering, the way he was so generously giving. Not that it really mattered.

He was pretty much decided, frankly. He rarely, if ever, allowed himself to delve headfirst into things, but there were always exceptions. Miyuki's face stayed phlegmatic, but the knowing flicker in Miyuki's eyes showed Eijun enough: he arched a brow, waiting for Eijun to voice his decision aloud.

"That'd be unnecessary. I'd take up the offer."

"Good boy," Miyuki praised. "I wouldn't want to resort to less... appealing alternatives."

Eijun's face darkened at the thinly-veiled threat: what could he blackmail him with? _This man is absurd._ Miyuki chuckled, lifting his cup of tea up. "In place of wine, I suppose." He tilted the rim slightly in Eijun's direction. "To our partnership."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter is kinda short; I wanted to add in another scene, but then I was like '_partnership_' so there's that. I'm starting to suspect that this fic will stretch over 30 chapters, lmao. But this is a way too early verdict for that I suppose.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter somewhat, and do leave a review to tell me your thoughts!**

**-mysticflakes**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**A/N: yo I'm back! I hope you enjoy the new update - with some mentions of Miyuki here and there, but don't worry, all the interactions between our favorite couple will be back next update!**

**As usual, thank you for every story alert, favorite, review and for simply giving this fic a chance!**

* * *

"Eijun, are you sure about this?" Wakana whispered as she passed the files over to him.

Eijun rolled his eyes. "Wakana, you're being way too worried over this. It's customary." He flipped the file open and scanned through the contents briefly. He couldn't afford to mess up the meeting; it was an opportunity that his father was giving him, and even if he wasn't too inclined about taking over the corporation itself, he wouldn't allow himself to be careless.

"Kanemaru-kun offered to go in with you. Why didn't you agree?" Wakana said, still in hushed tones as she checked her watch, "Ritsu-kun, can you go faster?"

Ritsu gave a small nod before stepping down on the pedal. Eijun closed the file and faced Wakana, amusement seeping into his tone. "You're far more nervous than I am, Wakana. And I can't have anyone accompanying me on the first meeting. It's important."

To bring someone in with him on the first meeting would suggest that he was weak alone, that he_needed _assistance and was dependent on company. That would not be ideal for a first impression. He needed to let people know he was capable of handling things even without support in an hour or two; bringing a person in would only further complicate the objective he wished to achieve in a limited span of time.

"I really don't understand how your mind works," Wakana said, sighing as she leaned back on the seat. She turned to look out of the windows with a wry grin.

"You do have faith in me, don't you?" Eijun asked. Hideaki, Sanada, and Todoroki were already on his side, _that_ he had already considerable confidence. Of course, after taking Narumiya into consideration, he'd only have two members left to convince. Shunpei and Eijun had met on the baseball field before along with Raizou's son, who had left a lasting impression on Eijun with his loud laughter and unforgettable batting skills. With such a history and occasional meet-ups, adding on to the fact that Shunpei was the youngest on the Board after Eijun, it was clear where their allegiance lie.

Wakana exhaled loudly. "Fine, I get your point."

The car stopped and Eijun felt his pocket vibrate with a text message.

_I hope I won't see you turn to minced meat today!_

_-Sanada Shunpei_

Eijun laughed.

* * *

"Good afternoon," Eijun greeted pleasantly, heels of his leather shoes landing on the thick, lush carpet of the conference room silently. He turned to face the room of six members and smiled. Shunpei met his eyes and they both shared a private amused glance.

_This will be fun._

A middle-aged man stood from his seat, hair slightly unruly as his black eyes flashed in annoyance.

Eijun considered flapping his hand for Katsuo to sit, but thought it'd be too out of line, even for him. The thought was still entertaining however, and he had to hold back a grin as he managed to maintain his phlegmatic expression. "Yes, Katsuo-san?"

"We need someone older, someone with more experience to lead the meeting."

Katsuo voicing his displeasure was not unexpected; he had overstepped his boundaries when taking his father's place once, and he obviously had ambitions in this company. Eijun's presence and existence was an eyesore and an obstruction to what he desired to achieve. Still, Katsuo was far too eager to make his opinions known, apparently over-enthusiastic on destroying Eijun's reputation to secure the position he deemed as his.

Eijun arched a brow, pulling out the chair set at the head of the table. Unruffled, he calmly seated himself and clasped his hands together on top of the files he had prepared. Katsuo's jaw clenched at Eijun's blatant nonchalance and lack of care for his statement.

"Really," Eijun said with an air of feigned intrigue and turned to look at Katsuo, who was still standing. "Who would you suggest, then?"

Katsuo blinked in surprise . "Well, I would - "

"Were you about to pick yourself out as a potential candidate?" Eijun asked, raising a brow. "That's interesting. From what I heard, your performance in the company haven't been exactly impressive. The two sectors under your management had reaped a level of profit that placed near the bottom of the performance chart I had drawn up." He paused, and flashed Katsuo a grin. "In fact, ever since you took over my father's position that one time, your performance had plummeted, Katsuo-san. That's a pity. I do wonder what that suggests."

Katsuo spluttered, face red with anger and embarrassment as he sat down. "You're just a brat," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'd like to be given the same degree of respect I have given you all this while. Or would I have to resort to other alternatives to make you do so? Perhaps I'd slip and let loose something you would rather not have anyone know?"

Katsuo clamped his mouth shut and said nothing else. Eijun narrowed his eyes on him, a smile still on his face before he turned his attention to address the rest of the members. Shunpei looked beyond pleased, nudging Raizou beside him who guffawed lightly.

"Are there any more doubts I need to clear before I start? We do have quite a bit to go through," Eijun said, letting his eyes drift over the members of the Board.

"Nonetheless, I think that it'd be good if you show some respect to your elders," Akiko spoke up as she met Eijun's eyes unflinchingly. Eijun was a little surprised that Akiko voiced that, since she was usually reserved in meetings and only stepped up for presentations that she was in charge of. He'd need her support when he took over the Board, however; if he could win her over, it'd benefit him in the long run.

Eijun inclined his head slightly. "I might have stepped out of line, and I'd have apologized; but what matters most here is capability and not age. I am here as a representative of my father. In the act of disrespecting me with unfounded doubts, it indicates distrust for my father's judgement, and in turn, disrespect for him as well. If I prove to be inadequate for this position, be it now or in future, I'd gladly take in any criticisms of my ineffectual performance and proceed to resign if someone shows to be better choice."

He paused for a moment, gaze flicking to Katsuo before turning his attention back to Akiko. "But I do also wish to say that I am my own person, and in my father's absence, I'd like to manage things my way. If I do make any mistakes that any of you present would like to address, I am definitely open to it. You are more experienced than I am with the operations of the company - I do acknowledge that fact." Akiko nodded her head once in approval, wearing a thin smile. Genjiro raised both his brows at his nephew, looking moderately impressed.

The members looked appeased - for now. Eijun doubted that Katsuo would let this rest, but he had muted his disagreement and he needed to move on.

* * *

"How did it go?"

Eijun shrugged, taking the set of papers from Ritsu at the door. "Pretty well." He nodded to Ritsu and murmured his thanks. Ritsu bowed and left after Eijun passed him his new sunglasses with an exasperated shake of his head.

When Eijun sat down beside Wakana, beginning to leaf through the papers, Wakana shook her phone right in front of his face and declared triumphantly: "I heard from Sanada-kun; you did great!"

Eijun rolled his eyes and opted not to reply. Shunpei was such a blabbermouth sometimes. It was seemingly enough for Wakana, however, because she averted her eyes back to her phone and started tapping furiously.

_Well, no matter. _Eijun set the papers beside him and retrieved his book from the table in front of him instead, deciding to continue where he left off the previous night.

Eijun found he was unable to concentrate and turned to eye Wakana after a few minutes, noticing that she was strangely silent. _Odd_, Eijun thought as he stared at Wakana who seemed very attentive to the person she was texting, replying within seconds of receiving a message. She rarely used her phone for messaging purposes; she once confided in Eijun that she thought it was a waste of time and she'd rather have a face-to-face conversation. For her to be this enthusiastic... the person must be rather special.

"Who is it?" Eijun asked.

Wakana turned her phone away from Eijun's curious eyes. "It's nothing."

Eijun lifted a brow, and Wakana stuck her tongue out at him in childish retaliation. With an air of finality, she stood up, tucking her phone into her pocket. "Now that I know it went well, I'm going to ask for an extravagant dinner!" She clapped her hands together in excitement and silenced Eijun with a jab of her finger in his direction. "Hush, you deserve it. Don't you dare skip dinner again!"

With that, she shut the door behind her with a soft click. Eijun chuckled in private amusement at her antics and took the papers he placed beside him just a few minutes before. His expression smoothed over almost immediately as he flipped the cover page over and stared at the familiar face of the foreigner.

_Takigawa Chris Yuu_

So that was his name. His brows knitted together to a frown as he continued to scan through the details. Takigawa was not exactly famous, but he had a certain degree of fame among lawyers for the ability to recall legal citations (or anything of sort) that worked to his favor even in the moment of intense pressure. He resigned from the law firm his father had set up, and had kept a low profile from two years back. It was an abrupt exit - till Eijun's gaze fell on the year one of the biggest lawsuits Takigawa had taken on. The dates did add up.

_The case with Futoshi?_ He had kept a close eye on the news for this, but the media coverage ceased soon after the judgement was leaked. Takigawa had won the case for the Cabinet minister's son, and it should be something used to climb up the ranks in the industry. Eijun tapped his finger on the paper thoughtfully. But he technically hadn't exited from handling law, because he entered Seidou, didn't he?

From what he remembered, the plaintiff, an ambitious married man of 47, had sued Futoshi for fraud. Eijun had once met Futoshi in a business setting, sifting through potential investors and possible mergers, and had deemed the company he led profitable but risky. Perhaps shady as well. While Eijun knew Sawamura corporation wasn't exactly the emblem of innocence, he would like to prevent it from permanent stains by dipping in waters too murky.

The man claimed to have invested a hefty amount of his "life savings" into Futoshi's company, but Futoshi denied that it ever occurred. He presented a written proof from Futoshi's side as evidence, but Takigawa eventually won the case for Futoshi, nonetheless.

Takigawa would definitely benefit more than he lost from this win. Eijun paused as he read through the list of cases Takigawa fought for. Guilty conscience on Takigawa's part? Had Futoshi convinced Takigawa that he was wrongly accused in the first place to get Takigawa to present his case? Perhaps the truth had surfaced shortly after. That would explain the sudden diminishment of media coverage; Futoshi's father would have interfered. A son was closely linked to the family name, after all.

Eijun picked up his cup from the tea plate and took a sip thoughtfully. That still didn't explain why Takigawa would work under Miyuki, especially since Takigawa seemed to possess idealistic pursuits with the types of cases he chose to fight for. Miyuki didn't give Eijun the impression that he_wouldn't_ stoop to underhanded methods to get his way, frankly.

The fact that Miyuki seemed to have constructed Seidou out of nothing was odd as well. Sure, he might have a decent amount stashed in his savings with the earnings as a bureaucrat, but considering Miyuki's age, he probably didn't have many years to collect the amount of funds he needed. That'd leave him with the possibility of taking a bank loan, gathering sufficient investors or having a wealthy family in the first place to support his venture. Bank loan was least likely, considering what Eijun could deduce from Miyuki's character. That'd leave the last two options. Miyuki's background was out; Eijun ran a check on him, and he was left outside an orphanage at the age of 7. His mother died of lung cancer, and his father just... went missing.

Investors then? If so, who? It wouldn't be convenient for Miyuki to make his identity known as he was starting out, so that'd suggest that he already had people following him for his cause to search for candidates for investment. Whatever cause he was working for. The fact that Miyuki started up a law firm was strange in itself; Eijun snorted at the idea of Miyuki being driven by justice.

_Right, very possible_, Eijun thought, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Frankly, the materials on Seidou were scarce; other than the articles that were published on papers which involved major politicians or class action lawsuits - namely predatory lending - there was little else to elaborate.

Seidou was something he'd have to see for himself, then.

It might not be important after all, considering that Eijun had already made a commitment to Seidou. A verbal agreement, but one that he would abide by, nonetheless. _Unless a loophole exists.. _

A loud knock on the door broke Eijun out of his thoughts.

Eijun flicked his glance over to the clock and stood up, making his way to his study table and unlocking his drawer beneath it. He slid the papers into it before locking it again. "Come in," he called.

He cracked a small smile when he saw who it was. "Dad," he greeted, slightly surprised. "I'd have went to the airport."

Hitoshi laughed boisterously. "I know you'd be busy! It's okay, your mother would have smacked me if I called. She was worried over you being stretched thin."

"I'm fine," Eijun reassured him, walking over to the door and stopping before his father.

Hitoshi wrapped his arms around Eijun before patting him twice on his back. "I know that. You're my son, after all!"

Eijun chuckled as he returned the hug before he stepped back. Hitoshi tucked his sunglasses in front of his shirt and flashed an expectant grin. "How did the meeting go?"

"Good," Eijun answered.

"As I expected!" Hitoshi cheered, looping an arm around Eijun's shoulder before proceeding to pull him out of the room. Eijun allowed himself to be dragged into his father's pace, part of him glad that the rowdiness of the house was back. It was a silence he couldn't really adapt to whenever his parents went away for business trips. "Now let's get some dinner. Wakana even went to prepare some dishes personally! I'm starving just thinking of them!"

As they strode down to the dining room, Eijun felt the pressure on his shoulder turn heavier. "So, kid," he started, his tone had taken a dip from a few seconds ago, now adopting an air of sobriety. "I heard from Wakana about this guy named Zaikai Kyum?"

Eijun nodded his head slowly, waiting to see where the conversation would lead him. "He's a bureaucrat, isn't he?" Hitoshi didn't wait for Eijun to answer, continuing, "I don't want you mixing with politicians."

"Dad," Eijun said dryly, "businessmen are similarly crafty people. Business and politics are intrinsically linked."

Hitoshi didn't look convinced by Eijun's argument. "They play dirty a lot more. Your mother is worried that it'd be bad influence."

Eijun stifled a chuckle, privately amused by the irony of the statement. If anyone was a bad influence, it'd probably be him himself. "Don't worry, I turned down the bureaucrats, anyway."

Hitoshi arched a brow as he stared down at his son, reaching the door of the living room. "Really? I'd have thought you'd have barged in headfirst."

Eijun's mouth twitched, unsure of what to make of Hitoshi's assumption. "What kind of impression do you have of me?"

"Capable and smart but arrogant and impulsive," Hitoshi replied cheerily, tugging Eijun closer to him and ruffling his hair.

Eijun scowled as he pulled away from his father's grip. "Dad, I'm already twenty!"

"Your birthday isn't over yet," Hitoshi said, shrugging. "So what do you intend to do after graduation?"

Eijun pushed the door open and stepped in. "I'm going to Seidou." His father shot him a sideways glance, but otherwise said nothing.

_A few more months till I graduate. _It'd be interesting to see what he'd be doing there.

* * *

**A/N: lmao I can't wait to write some miyusawa for the next update, and don't worry, I didn't forget Haruichi. On another note, I can't seem to find what Eijun's Dad's name was, so I just came up with one, haha.**

**And while I can't promise that the amount of OCs will be reduced for subsequent chapters, I really prefer canon characters, so I'd be using them when I can. Sorry to those who're bothered by OCs!**

**I'd love to hear what you think, do drop a review to tell me your thoughts!**

**-mysticflakes**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**A/N: While I do research on its history and government, I will not be putting most of them in my fic. Please don't take any historical/political information as facts - they're mostly born from my imagination. **

**Time break will be indicated later on this chapter. **

**As usual, thank you for every review, favorite, alert and for simply giving this story a chance!**

**Note: LDP refers to Liberal Democratic Party**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

"You're serious about that?"

Eijun slanted a sideways glance at Haruichi. "What's so surprising?"

"I always thought you would go for the bureaucrats eventually," Haruichi said as he reached for his cup of tea placed on the table. "It's not as if Seidou isn't a good choice if you really _are _interested in law. I just can't seem to see you doing that."

Eijun propped his elbow on the arm of the chair, leaning the side of his face against his closed fist. Haruichi appeared content in waiting for Eijun's response, taking slow sips of his tea. Eijun let the silence dragged on for a moment more before he spoke up: "What do you think of the bureaucrats, Harucchi?"

Haruichi paused, then set his cup back down on the saucer. Eijun could see Haruichi turning the question in his head, then he looked up and met Eijun's gaze. "I never really..."

"Don't tell me you _really_ are blindly following your brother's footsteps," Eijun said airily, not commenting on Haruichi's stiffened form beside him. "I find that hard to believe."

Haruichi lifted his chin, as if he just steeled his resolve and had mustered all his dignity to answer Eijun's question. Eijun hid the upturned smirk behind his fist and arched a brow. "I don't find them particularly inspiring," Haruichi confessed, then leaned back on his chair, turning away from Eijun as he faced forward instead. "I just want to be one of the... _shadows,_" he stopped, then stared at Eijun as a blush rose to his cheeks. "I don't know how to put it."

Eijun thought that the description was rather apt. _That's ambitious, Harucchi. _

"You do know," Eijun remarked lightly, "that the elite bureaucrats will be one of the major determining factors in the election held next year?"

While the LDP was considered one of the most successful parties to be in power, the scandal that occurred in 1996 undeniably played a big part in their losing of the following election. The bribery with a newly-formed telecommunications company involved not only top leaders of LDP including the then Prime Minister, but also had a few members from each respective ruling party, though they made up the minority of the government. However, it was obvious that the LDP was the most adversely affected with several influential party members being forced to resign from their positions.

Eijun was pretty sure that the backbenchers and the bureaucrats would play a big part in the upcoming election. If a risky and unpopular policy reform was to be introduced now, it would very likely divert favor back to LDP - the citizens were rather conservative voters, after all. To be honest, the election in 1997 that ended in a landslide victory for the opposition was a little surprising.

The decision-making process of each proposed legislation was undisclosed, and obscure at best; but the fact remained that the bureaucrats had a significant role in its matters with its part as a tacit, unspoken position of a mediator between the backbenchers and the Minister. Frankly, Eijun thought the decision was very much built on the part of the bureaucrats, with them acting as an in-between and therefore having the power to lean the final results to what they desire.

This also meant that the nature of bureaucrats, once thought to be representative of its citizens because they were supposed to be impartial and unaffected by politics, would inevitably become highly politicized.

"I never gave much thought about it," said Haruichi, after a small pause. "Is that the reason why you wanted to accept the offer for bureaucrats?"

"Partly." Eijun shrugged, letting his gaze drop down to the stack of files his father had assigned him to look through. He would absolutely _love _to be present in the next meeting with his father just to spite Katsuo. He supposed some part of him would always have immature thoughts like this. "It just seems interesting."

Haruichi's gaze sharpened, and it was only after a while that he spoke up. "I heard from my brother that it's really competitive in there. Draining, maybe."

"That just multiplies my interest," said Eijun, arching a brow.

"Why do you sound like you're going to join the bureaucrats?" Haruichi said slowly, angling his body so he was facing Eijun completely.

Eijun grinned. "No, why would I do that? I just like keeping my options open."

"You promised Miyuki-san, didn't you?" asked Haruichi, with a tone of incredulity. "You are always one to keep your word."

"I never said I'm going back on my promises," Eijun drawled, a corner of his lips tugging upwards to a smirk.

Haruichi eyed Eijun suspiciously, but decided to refrain from commenting further and Eijun led Haruichi to safer topics like Wakana and Sanada.

* * *

"Kominato-san," Eijun greeted, clasping Ryousuke's hand in a firm handshake. "It's a pleasure to see you after so long."

Ryousuke smiled the usual unnerving smile of his, but Eijun found it easy to brush off once he got used to it. "How's my little brother doing?"

"Very well," replied Eijun. "I don't suppose you're here to discuss Harucchi?"

Ryousuke's smile sharpened with a predatory edge. "I'd like to, but I'm here today as a bureaucrat."

Eijun sat down after Ryousuke took his seat opposite him across the coffee table. The afternoon crowd in this cafe was rather tame because it was tucked at a more secluded corner of the central district, and Eijun often came here for tea alone to gather his thoughts. "Would you like some coffee?"

Ryousuke shook his head as the smile vanished from his face. Eijun waved the waiter away with a mouthed, "No, thank you", and waited patiently for Ryousuke to begin.

"I volunteered to come here today instead of my colleague when I realized you were one of the _bigger fishes _they intend to net in for the scout," Ryousuke paused, then folded his arms and leaned back on his chair. "Have you made up your mind yet? It has been two months, and there are no news from you."

"I'm not very sure yet," Eijun said calmly, "I can't say I'm not interested in it, though."

"Why are you wavering? I remember you to be one of the more decisive ones back then," Ryousuke said with a frown between his brows. "It's not because of my little brother, is it?" His tone turned slightly icy at this.

Eijun resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Ryousuke could make quick and sharp judgments, but when it came to affairs of his brother's, he seemed to lose that advantageous edge. "I don't think Harucchi would like that assumption."

"Are you dodging my question?" Ryousuke inquired coolly. "Whatever you two had in the past shouldn't have any effect on your choice now. Unless it's re-established?" The smile that crossed his lips now wasn't one that Eijun was familiar with: it was darker, like a promise of a bite if Eijun didn't answer the way he liked.

_Oh, Christ. _Eijun stared at Ryousuke for a moment, so thoroughly amused he had to bite back his laughter. Ryousuke _really_ needed to relax. And suddenly, Eijun realized that while Ryousuke might be here because of his own interest in Eijun as a potential colleague, the primary factor was largely attributed to Haruichi. Just because relationships between fellow bureaucrats weren't allowed to maintain a strictly working relationship didn't mean that it was ever going to be a reason for Eijun's decline of their offer. In fact, he thought it to be one of the rules that was least applicable to him - he was never going to enter into a relationship with a bureaucrat anyway, if he was going to join them.

"Don't worry, Kominato-san," Eijun reassured him, flashing a wide grin, "It was cleanly broken off last time."

Ryousuke didn't change his expression, but his shoulders relaxed slightly. "He isn't fit for that kind of relationship."

_If only you know how he's like in bed. _

Eijun managed to hold in that thought from passing his lips, and nodded instead. Ryousuke would kill him if he knew Haruichi wasn't as innocent as he thought - though it might add quite a bit of an excitement in Eijun's life, frankly. Ryousuke's protectiveness never got old. A smile drew Eijun's lips upwards.

Ryousuke looked away and settled to turn his gaze to the quiet road outside, where a car or two passed occasionally. "We have expanded the offer. It will be easier for you to join us if you'd like it to be." Ryousuke placed his folded arms on the table, and a smirk tugged his mouth upwards as he fixed his eyes on Eijun. "Not that I'm exactly approving of their methods, but we'd need a little favor from you for that to happen."

Eijun expected this, and he shifted himself on the chair to make himself more comfortable. "Sorry, but I'd have to decline. I'm sure I'd pass the trials."

"Someone's confident," Ryousuke stated, both his brows raising. "Did someone else make a guarantee for you?"

"No," Eijun answered truthfully, "I just have enough faith in my capabilities."

Ryousuke remained silent, then leaned back against his chair. "Well, well, Kuramochi certainly is right in his description of you."

"An arrogant bastard?" Eijun guessed.

"More or less," Ryousuke said, "not that it isn't justified."

Now that they were past the stage of formal exchange, Eijun allowed himself to relax from his posture and waved a waiter over to ask for a cup of tea. He gestured to Ryousuke who declined the offer again. After the waiter left, Eijun asked, "How is your job?"

"Stimulating," Ryousuke replied, revealing teeth in his smile. "Probably something you'd like. Unless you've another offer in sight." A brow lifted questioningly.

"I'd love to have a variety of options, actually," Eijun said lightly, deciding to evade the question. He didn't think Miyuki would like it if he let Seidou slip from his lips. "Do you've another one privately?"

It was there for barely a second, but Eijun noticed a contemplative expression crossing Ryousuke's features. He wondered if it was staged or something genuine.

"If I do have a company, you'd be one of the first I'd hire, Sawamura-kun," Ryousuke drawled as the waiter moved forward to place the cup of tea in front of Eijun. Eijun pondered over it as he took his cup, then shoved the thought away - it was not likely to be important, anyway.

Ryousuke had his eyes on the road again when he spoke up. "Nonetheless, the offer still stands - you can take a few months more to reach a conclusion."

* * *

Eijun moved his knight over and crossed the middle boundary.

Kuramochi's brows were knitted to a focused frown as he glared at the chess pieces. "How are you so good at this," he complained.

"Practice," Eijun said simply. "It's really your kind of game, I think."

Kuramochi made a sound of disbelief. After a moment, he moved his pawn forward. Eijun grinned, then slid his bishop diagonally upwards. "Heard of Zaikai Kyuuym, senpai?"

Kuramochi froze, then a cold expression crossed his face. "Who told you that?"

Eijun blinked at Kuramochi, bewildered. Why the sudden hostility? Though Eijun was sure it wasn't directed at him, he decided that setting his gaze on the chess board might be safer. "I heard of the name, that's all."

Kuramochi's posture remained stiffened, and he hunched over the board for a good minute. "If that's true, good." Kuramochi pushed his rook up. "What did you hear about him?"

"Nothing much," Eijun murmured. He had thought Kuramochi might hear of something regarding Miyuki from Ryousuke, because it was unlikely that Kuramochi would know that Zaikai was Miyuki.

From that reaction just now, however... Eijun stared at the chess pieces, corner of his mouth lifting when he found that Kuramochi had fell for his trap: he had shifted a knight to put Kuramochi on defensive, giving the false image that he was solely focusing his attacks on the queen, when he in fact had his sights set on the king.

Triumphantly, he pushed his rook forward. "Checkmate." Kuramochi cursed, moving his king to the right. Eijun slid his queen sideways. "Checkmate again. That's a dead end."

Kuramochi groaned, falling back on the floor. "I told you, I _hate _chess!"

"And I told you that you'll pick it up soon," said Eijun calmly as he swept the pieces back into the box and folded the board together. "You're smart."

Kuramochi jerked his head, eyes meeting Eijun's with an expression of disbelief. "Did you just praise me?"

"Are you going to change your description of me, if I say yes?"

Kuramochi sat up immediately. "What description?"

"I heard from Kominato-san," Eijun explained dryly. "I didn't know you were carrying that expression around. I wonder what Miyuki-san would say if he heard."

Kuramochi barked out a laugh. "Miyuki knows your true nature, Sawamura!" He clapped Eijun on the shoulder twice heartily. "Don't worry!"

_I would be worried if he _does _know me that well. _"How does Miyuki-san take rejections, actually?" He wondered out loud. "He seems pretty self-assured."

Kuramochi paused, then answered: "Badly. He's not used to it." Kuramochi guffawed. "You'll probably be one of the few to be able to get under his skin. I'll be looking forward to that."

"I see." That gave him enough reason already, then. "I hope I won't disappoint you," Eijun said sweetly.

"Wait." Kuramochi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You aren't thinking of pulling out, are you?"

"Of course not," Eijun said, widening his eyes with the right amount of indignation in his voice. "I'm a man of my word."

"I thought this had something to do with you asking for a few months of freedom before you enter Seidou." Kuramochi seemed visibly relieved as he scrambled towards the TV console for the controllers. "C'mon." He threw one of the controllers to Eijun who caught it swiftly as Kuramochi selected a game.

_Sorry, senpai._

Technically, when Eijun agreed to work with Miyuki, the latter didn't specify _which_ job he was talking about. He wouldn't be breaking his promise if he went for bureaucrats instead.

And then, there was the added bonus of angering Miyuki. _Brilliant_.

* * *

**Five months later**

* * *

Eijun was promptly handed to one of the civil servants at the office after the hundred of them sorted to this building was divided into different, smaller groups. "I would not bother introducing myself - I doubt we'll meet again to be honest," he said as he hurried past the counter, "assuming you got in based on your own merits, you should know that it's really better to be independent here. Friendly piece of advice: almost everyone here is a shark."

"Except me," he added proudly after a beat of silence. He touched the stubble at his chin that was tinted a dark brown, mimicking the shade of his hair. Eijun stared at it, slightly amused. Most bureaucrats seemed to be against growing a beard. He did act like he was proud of it, though. It reminded him of something... "It's usually busy around here, so ask questions when you only have to."

He swept his eyes over Eijun contemplatively. "Then again, you're _the _Sawamura, aren't you? I heard about you."

Eijun stared at him, then decided it was better to remain quiet. He touched his stubble again. "Aren't you going to ask who?"

"I won't ask if you don't intend to say it, sir," Eijun replied.

He blinked at him, then scratched his head sheepishly. "Okay, let's stop that sir thing. I'm Isashiki Jun."

Eijun held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Isashiki-san."

He clasped it and shook it heartily. "Maybe I'll see you around, Sawamura-kun. I'll just bring you over there and brief you for a bit. I need to leave for a meeting later." He gestured to the space at the far corner. Then he paused as if something else caught his attention and a frown knitted his brows together. "Oh no, he should know better than to hold a coffee like _that._"

Eijun turned his head to where Isashiki's attention lie, and saw a man leaning over one of the office cubicles. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and a white mug was in his left hand as he patted his pocket for something. His mouth moved, and the person waiting in the cubicle frowned impatiently. As they approached the table, the man's arm seemed to give an involuntary jerk and the brown liquid splashed out along with the movement, spilling some onto the table.

"Damn you, Zaikai-san!" The man sprang up from his seat, hissing furiously.

_Zaikai?_

Eijun felt his breath hitch in his throat. Isashiki was unaware of Eijun's sudden trepidation and raised an arm in greeting. "Hey, Zaikai!"

"Oh, Isashiki-san!" The man turned, and the black-rimmed glasses that set on his nose was though a different pair from what Eijun had seen on him the previous times, he was definitely... Zaikai's eyes almost immediately fell on Eijun, and his gaze sharpened after surprise flashed past his eyes.

Eijun had the instinctive reaction to take a step back, but remained rooted to the ground. _I am a Sawamura, and I'm not scared of _anyone. Eijun pushed himself to move forward instead as Isashiki approached Zaikai with a beaming smile.

"You should know better than that," Isashiki said irritably, rolling his eyes at the man still standing at the cubicle, wiping his table clean with angry mutters under his breath. "Wasn't Zaikai holding his cup?"

"I forgot about that," the man said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry," Zaikai apologized, bowing to the man. Eijun would have thought it was sincere if not for the momentary twitch of his jaw. _What is he doing... why is he behaving like this? _

Isashiki waved the man off dismissively and took Zaikai by the elbow over to Eijun instead. "Ignore him, he's a grouchy asshole as usual." They stopped in front of Eijun. Eijun schooled his face to an impassive mask and morphed his expression to a questioning one.

Isashiki took the lead and gestured to Zaikai. "This is Zaikai Kyuuym, and this," he pointed to Eijun, "is Sawamura Eijun."

"Ah." Zaikai's eyes narrowed. "I see. Nice to meet you." He held his hand out with a stiff smile.

Eijun felt a mirroring smile slant across his lips as he took Zaikai's hand. His fingers clasped around Eijun's hand with a firm squeeze. "Nice to meet you, too."

The polite smile had dropped from Zaikai's face, and his lips are pressed together, obviously unhappy with Eijun's presence here. The dark look that crossed Miyuki's face made Eijun's smile stay. _I did not break my promise, right, Miyuki-san?_

Miyuki didn't look appeased by Eijun's high spirits at all.

Predictably.

"Um." Isashiki coughed. Abruptly, Eijun realized their hands were still connected with the handshake and pulled his hand away. "I'll be bringing Sawamura-kun over to his spot, then."

"If you don't mind, I can bring him over there instead. You do have a meeting later on, don't you?" Zaikai turned to Isashiki and sent him a disarming smile.

He slapped a hand to his forehead. "Right!" He exclaimed. "Sorry about this!"

"Don't worry about it."

Isashiki left in a flurry of panic, passing his table and snatching a file off it before he turned the corner for the lift. Miyuki slung a heavy arm around Eijun's shoulder then, forcing him to walk in pace with him.

"Are you sure you can do that with a coffee in another hand?" Eijun asked before he could stop himself.

Miyuki slanted a look at Eijun. "Why are you here?" He very nearly hissed. Eijun suppressed the inane urge to chuckle and opted for blinking innocently instead.

"What are you saying, Zaikai-san?" He inquired with the perfect amount of confusion. "I am, technically, working for you now."

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**A/N: hope you enjoyed this chapter and do leave a review to tell me your thoughts! I'd love to hear what you think!**

**-mysticflakes**


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